Employers may be underestimating the scale of workforce health risk, with new analysis from Bluecrest finding that 86 per cent of employees have at least one clinically significant cardiovascular health flag.
The data, based on more than 62,000 employee assessments across 1,469 UK organisations, suggests that a large proportion of risk is currently undetected because conditions present without symptoms.
The report also found that nearly a quarter of employees under 30 already show at least one cardiovascular risk marker. Meanwhile, employees in their thirties are, on average, above clinical thresholds for anxiety and depression screening scores.
Additionally, risk varies by demographic, with men showing higher rates of cardiometabolic issues such as obesity and inflammation, while women are more likely to flag for anxiety and depression. The data suggests younger workers are also carrying a higher-than-expected mental health burden compared to older cohorts.
Sector differences are also marked, with public sector, construction, manufacturing and security roles recording the highest levels of cardiovascular risk. In some sectors, more than half of employees are flagged on composite heart disease and stroke risk scores.
Geography also plays a role, as employees outside southern England show higher rates of obesity and blood pressure risk, while mental health indicators remain broadly consistent across regions.
Meanwhile, blood pressure emerges as a key hidden risk, with 37.9% of employees showing elevated readings. Because hypertension is often symptomless, many cases remain undiagnosed until serious events occur.
The report also found that early intervention can drive measurable improvement, with around half of employees with elevated blood pressure showing improvement by their second or third assessment. Additionally, most employees reported taking at least one positive health action following screening.
The data suggest employers may need to shift from reactive approaches to proactive, data-led health strategies.
Bluecrest says declining workforce health is costing the UK economy around £30bn annually, largely driven by reduced productivity.
