Almost three-quarters, or 73 per cent, of Aviva individual and group protection customers who have returned a valid annual health check via DigiCare+ and DigiCare+ Workplace over the past year, suffer from high cholesterol.
Poor liver health (64%) and poor kidney health (27%) were also key areas of concern among Aviva customers, indicating the importance of early intervention to protect their long-term health.
Over two-thirds of users, or 68 per cent, have requested a health check as more customers want to monitor and receive health information remotely.
The results of the health checks were a major reason for referring customers to the nutrition service and follow-up digital GP services, to determine whether the customer required additional advice or referrals for further investigations.
High cholesterol and liver disease are two conditions that, if detected early, can prompt customers to make lifestyle changes that help manage or even prevent complications. Eating healthy, limiting alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, increasing exercise, and losing weight are all important lifestyle choices that can improve liver health and lower cholesterol levels.
Aviva managing director Fran Bruce says: “We didn’t plan to launch the Aviva DigiCare+ proposition in the middle of a pandemic but the fact that we did has given thousands of customers access to digital healthcare over the past year when they have needed it most.
“One year on from launch, the annual health check has been the most popular benefit. It’s been incredibly powerful to identify a high incidence of issues such as abnormal cholesterol and liver health results to give customers an early heads up and enable them to take action to improve their lifestyle choices by seeking help via the app.
“While providing our customers with the right support at the point of claim is vital, we know that prevention and early intervention is key to avoid customers becoming ill in the first place. Never has that been more important.”
Square Health, the provider of Aviva’s DigiCare+, chairman and CEO Dr Bippon Vinayak says: “Liver and cholesterol health markers are related to diet and lifestyle. An unhealthy diet high in saturated fat, being overweight, excess alcohol intake and physical inactivity can lead to an increase in ‘bad’ cholesterol. Excess alcohol intake is the main cause of liver damage. It is likely that diet and lifestyle may have both been impacted adversely during the pandemic and lockdown period.”
