What do insurance companies consider high cholesterol?
Doctors usually consider total cholesterol over 200 to be high or elevated. Meanwhile, insurance companies will often accept applicants with total cholesterol of 275 or 300 at Preferred Best rates—the highest rate class available (say what?!).
Cholesterol levels (mmol/L) | Category |
---|---|
Below 5.0 | Normal (or low) |
5.0 to 6.4 | High |
6.5 to 7.8 | Very high |
Above 7.9 | Extremely high |
A total cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL (5.17 mmol/L) is normal. A total cholesterol level of 200 to 239 mg/dL (5.17 to 6.18 mmol/L) is borderline high. A total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL (6.21 mmol/L) or greater is high.
Standard Rate – A total cholesterol level of 300-350 mg/dL or less with a cholesterol/HDL ratio of 8.0 or less will likely result in standard rates with most companies. Preferred Smoker Rate –Cholesterol level between 120-300, with or without medication. Your Chol/HDL Ratio is also important, and it may not exceed 5.5.
Generally, a healthy cholesterol level is considered to be a total cholesterol (TC) level of fewer than 5 millimoles per litre (mmol/L), and anything over this would be deemed a high cholesterol level.
If your cholesterol is particularly high, not well controlled with medication or if you have other health issues, you might even be denied coverage.
Examples of pre-existing medical conditions include, diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol or a long-term back condition. We get complaints from customers who say their insurance company won't accept their claim because it's linked to a pre-existing medical condition.
New 2023 hypertension and lipid targets
For low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in patients with diabetes, the ADA recommends now a target of less than 70 mg/dL or no greater than 55 mg/dL, depending on the individual's cardiovascular risk.
This might include fasting or avoiding food for up to 12 hours beforehand. This helps to ensure the most accurate results, which can help to catch risk factors for heart disease. If a person does not need to fast, they can eat and drink as usual. In this case, what they consume will not affect their results.
Turmeric golden milk
Turmeric contains an active compound called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties and may positively impact cholesterol levels, Singhwal noted.
How to lower cholesterol for blood test life insurance?
- Drink plenty of water. Drinking water can help dilute concentrations of sugar and protein, and clear toxins from your system.
- Limit your salt intake. ...
- Eat a healthy diet. ...
- Limit alcohol.
The short answer is, yes! Although high cholesterol is often seen as a minor condition, it's important to declare it on your travel insurance policy in case of any linked conditions. That way, if something happens to you whilst you're away, you can rest assured with peace of mind that it is covered.
Recommended daily cholesterol intakes are 300 mg or less per day.
High levels of cholesterol in your blood can lead to greater risk of heart conditions and strokes, therefore it is important to notify your insurer of this medication to ensure you are fully covered for anything that could be directly or indirectly related.
Limit foods high in saturated fat.
Saturated fats come from animal products (such as cheese, fatty meats, and dairy desserts) and tropical oils (such as palm oil). Foods that are higher in saturated fat may be high in cholesterol.
People taking statins for high cholesterol could be seen as a higher risk - even if you're fully managing your condition by taking the medication. But if you're taking statins as a precaution and your cholesterol levels have never been raised, then the cost of your policy shouldn't be affected.
They can include engaging in risky hobbies and behaviors like skydiving; having a history of DUIs or speeding tickets; having a dangerous job like roofing; having a criminal record or a less than ideal financial history; being a smoker; and failing a drug test.
- Cancer.
- Heart disease.
- Diabetes.
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Liver disease (e.g., cirrhosis)
- Stroke.
Due to the added risk health problems create for insurers, some pre-existing conditions can raise your premium or even disqualify you entirely from certain types of life insurance. A few common examples of pre-existing conditions include high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and asthma.
A pre-existing medical condition is a disease, illness or injury for which you have received medication, advice or treatment or had any symptoms (whether the condition has been diagnosed or not) in the five years before your joining date. Health insurance doesn't usually cover 'pre-existing conditions'.
What counts as a preexisting condition?
A health problem, like asthma, diabetes, or cancer, you had before the date that new health coverage starts. Insurance companies can't refuse to cover treatment for your pre-existing condition or charge you more.
Most cholesterol medications work pretty well in lowering cholesterol. Lower cholesterol means a lower risk of heart attack or stroke, which means you are a lower overall risk to the insurance company, which means the insurance company can offer you a better rate on life insurance.
Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They're also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way some other foods, such as those high in trans fats and saturated fats, do.
The worst foods for high cholesterol, given their high saturated fat content, include: Red meat, like beef, pork, and lamb, as well as processed meats like sausage. Full-fat dairy, like cream, whole milk, and butter.
Simple swaps. There are plenty of swaps you can make to help improve your cholesterol. To eat more heart-healthy foods, try swapping from butter to olive oil, potato chips to plain nuts, white bread to whole grain bread or choosing reduced-fat dairy products instead of full-fat versions.
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