If you’re on the fence about offering biometric screening for your workers, these findings may help tip the scales.

Biometric screenings (of employees’ blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol levels and/or blood pressure) are a better — and less subjective — indicator of staffers’ health risks than even insurance claims, according to experts at Buck Consultants and Towers Watson.

And by uncovering certain health risks, companies have a much better shot at preventing employees’ future health problems.

For example, approximately 23% of all workers have high blood pressure. And of that percentage, a full 30% are undiagnosed and 10% aren’t being treated for their problem. Treating high blood pressure cuts hospitalization for heart attacks by 25% — and it cuts hospitalization for strokes by 33%.

Readers, has your company had success with biometric screenings? Tell us about it in the Comments section.

Tags: Biometric screenings, Body mass index, Buck Consultants, Cholesterol levels, Heath costs, High blood pressure, Hospitalization, Insurance claims, Towers Watson