Life Insurance with High Cholesterol Levels.

In this article, we wanted to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions we get from folks applying for life insurance after having been diagnosed with Hyperlipidemia or High Cholesterol.

Questions that will be addressed will include:

• Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Hyperlipidemia or High Cholesterol?
• Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Hyperlipidemia or High Cholesterol?
• What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?
• What rate (or price) can I qualify for?
• What can I do to help ensure that I get the “best life insurance” for me?

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!

Can I qualify for life insurance if I have been diagnosed with Hyperlipidemia or High Cholesterol?

Yes, individuals who have been diagnosed with high cholesterol can and often will be able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy. In fact, they may even be able to qualify for a Preferred rate on a life insurance policy without a medical exam!

The problem is…

That before anyone can be approved for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy after they have been diagnosed with High Cholesterol or Hyperlipidemia, most (if not all) of the top-rated life insurance companies are going to want to make sure that you are properly treating your condition.

Why do life insurance companies care if I have been diagnosed with Hyperlipidemia or High Cholesterol?

The main reason why a life insurance company is going to “care” if you have been diagnosed with High Cholesterol is because elevated cholesterol levels is widely believed to be a major contributing factor to heart disease, which is currently the number one killer of American’s today.

Which is why…

It only makes sense that if you have been diagnosed with High Cholesterol, most life insurance companies are going to want to learn a little bit more about your diagnosis and how well you are currently managing your cholesterol levels to reduce your risk of suffering from more serious consequences which could occur.

For this reason…

We wanted to take a moment define a few terms that you’re likely to encounter when discussing “high cholesterol”. And also mention a few “risk factors” and potential “complications” that a typical life insurance underwriter will be looking for when making his or her decision about your life insurance application.

Common terms you may encounter:

• Hyperlipidemia:
  • Hyperlipidemia is a term used to describe high levels of lipids, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, in the blood. Lipids are a type of fat that are necessary for good health, but high levels of lipids can increase the risk of certain health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.

    There are two main types of hyperlipidemia: primary and secondary. Primary hyperlipidemia is a genetic condition that is inherited from a person’s parents. Secondary hyperlipidemia is caused by other factors, such as an unhealthy diet, obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, or certain medications.

    Symptoms of hyperlipidemia are typically not present, but the condition can be detected through a blood test. If hyperlipidemia is diagnosed, treatment may include lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, and quitting smoking, as well as medication.

    It is important to manage hyperlipidemia to reduce the risk of heart disease and other health problems.

• Hypercholesterolemia:
  • Hypercholesterolemia is a condition characterized by high levels of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is produced by the liver and found in certain foods. It is necessary for good health, but high levels of cholesterol can increase the risk of certain health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.

    There are two main types of cholesterol: LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, can build up in the walls of the arteries, leading to a condition called atherosclerosis. This can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. HDL cholesterol, also known as “good” cholesterol, helps remove LDL cholesterol from the arteries.

    Hypercholesterolemia can be caused by genetics, an unhealthy diet, obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain medications. Symptoms of hypercholesterolemia are typically not present, but the condition can be detected through a blood test. If hypercholesterolemia is diagnosed, treatment may include lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, and quitting smoking, as well as medication.

• Hyperlipoproteinemia:
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia is a common disorder that can cause one to suffer from Hypercholesterolemia or High Cholesterol because this is a condition caused by the body’s inability to break down certain lips of fats in one’s body, usually cholesterol and triglycerides.

Potential risk factors for developing High Cholesterol may include:

• Genetics: High cholesterol can be inherited from a person’s parents. If you have a family history of high cholesterol, you may be at increased risk.
• Diet: A diet high in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol can increase cholesterol levels.
• Obesity: Being overweight or obese can increase cholesterol levels.
• Lack of physical activity: A sedentary lifestyle can increase cholesterol levels.
• Smoking: Smoking can increase cholesterol levels.
• Age: As people get older, their cholesterol levels tend to increase.
• Gender: Men are more likely to have high cholesterol than women.
• Diabetes: People with diabetes are more likely to have high cholesterol.
• High blood pressure: High blood pressure can increase cholesterol levels.
• Certain medications: Some medications, such as steroids and birth control pills, can increase cholesterol levels.

Possible complications of high cholesterol levels may include:

• Heart disease: High cholesterol can build up in the walls of the arteries, leading to a condition called atherosclerosis. This can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Pancreatitis: High levels of triglycerides in the blood can increase the risk of pancreatitis, a condition that causes inflammation of the pancreas.
• Kidney disease: High cholesterol levels can increase the risk of kidney disease, which can lead to kidney failure.
• Gallstones: High cholesterol levels can increase the risk of gallstones, which are hard deposits that form in the gallbladder.
• Peripheral artery disease: High cholesterol levels can increase the risk of peripheral artery disease, which is a condition that causes narrowing of the arteries in the legs.

Treatment options:

Treatment for hyperlipidemia may include lifestyle changes and medication. The specific treatment plan will depend on the type and severity of the hyperlipidemia, as well as the patient’s overall health and risk of developing complications.

Lifestyle changes that may be recommended to manage hyperlipidemia include:

• Eating a healthy diet: This may include limiting saturated and trans fats, increasing fiber, and choosing healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
• Getting regular physical activity: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, on most days of the week.
• Losing weight: If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can help improve cholesterol levels.
• Quitting smoking: Smoking can increase cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Limiting alcohol: Drinking alcohol in moderation may be okay, but heavy alcohol consumption can increase cholesterol levels.

If lifestyle changes alone are not enough to manage hyperlipidemia, medication may be recommended. Some common medications used to treat hyperlipidemia include statins, fibrates, bile acid sequestrants, and nicotinic acid. It is important to follow the treatment plan recommended by your healthcare team and to take your medication as prescribed.

The good news is…

That with the proper care and treatment from a licensed medical professional, many individuals can and often will be able to get the cholesterol levels down to a healthy level.  Which translates into being able to qualify for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy.

What kind of information will the insurance companies ask me or be interested in?

When you apply for life insurance and disclose that you have high cholesterol, the insurance company will likely ask you for more information about your condition. They may ask you the following questions:

• When were you first diagnosed with High Cholesterol or Hyperlipidemia?
• Who diagnosed your Hyperlipidemia? A general practitioner or a specialist?
• How are you treating your Hyperlipidemia?
• Do you know why you have developed Hyperlipidemia?
• Have you been diagnosed with any other pre-existing medical conditions?
• Have you been diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes?
• Have you ever suffered from a heart attack or a stroke?
• Have any of your immediate family members (mother, father, brother, or sister) ever been diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes?
• Have any of your immediate family members ever suffered from a heart attack or a stroke?
• What are your current height and weight?
• In the past 12 months, have you used any tobacco or nicotine products?
• In the past two years, have you been hospitalized for any reason?
• Are you currently working now?
• In the past 12 months, have you applied for or received any form of disability benefits?

What rate (or price) can I qualify for?

As you can see, there are many factors that can come into play when trying to determine what kind of “rate” you might qualify for. This is why it’s almost impossible to know what kind of “rate” you might qualify for without first speaking with you for a few minutes.

That said however…

There are a few “assumptions” that we can make about folks applying for a traditional term or whole life insurance policy after they have been diagnosed with High Cholesterol that will “general” hold true and may provide you with a general idea about what kind of rate that you “might” be able to qualify for.

For example…

Generally speaking, if you’re hoping to be able to qualify for a Preferred Plus rate, you will want to make sure that your cholesterol rates fall somewhere between 200 to 220 mg/dl or below and have a cholesterol/HDL level less than 5.0.  

For a Preferred rate, you should be below 250 with a ratio less than 5.5. And for a Standard rate you should be between 300-350 with a ratio below 8.0.

Which as you can see…

Is actually quite generous in some cases given the fact that if your current cholesterol levels are over 300, your primary care physician probably isn’t going to congratulate you unless this represents a significant decrease from what your levels once were. 

And that’s exactly…

We can run into trouble, particularly if there are other pre-existing medical conditions that may be in play that could either be contributing to one’s cholesterol levels or could be directly complications from one’s cholesterol levels!

The good news is…

That regardless of your situation, we here at IBUSA can help because we have tons of experience helping folks with all sorts of pre-existing medical conditions like yours and are committed to helping all of our clients find the “best” life insurance policy that they can qualify for. 

Which brings us to the last topic that we wanted to take a moment and discuss, which is…

What can I do to help ensure that I get the “best life insurance” for me?

In our experience here at IBUSA, what we have found that usually, the folks who seem to find the “best” life insurance policy for them are those that:

• Take their time reviewing their options.
• Ask a lot of questions.

And seek out those life insurance agents who not only have experience working with individuals who have been diagnosed with a wide variety of pre-existing medical conditions but also have access to dozens of different life insurance companies so that when it comes time to helping a more “challenging” case, they don’t have to rely on a…

“One size fits all approach!”

The good news is that this is exactly what you’re going to find here at IBUSA!

Now, will we be able to help out everyone who has been previously diagnosed with High Cholesterol?

No, probably not. But what we can tell you is that in addition to offering a wide variety of different term and whole life insurance policies, IBUSA has also worked very hard to establish relationships with many of the Best Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance Companies as well so that if someone isn’t able to qualify for a traditional life insurance policy, chances are there may be some other “type” of product that you CAN qualify for.

So, if you’re ready to see what options might be available to you, just give us a call!