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| Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Term Life Insurance Rates |
Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Life Insurance
Cholesterol and blood pressure have a significant impact on life insurance rates. If your cholesterol is high or your blood pressure is abnormal, you could pay more for term life insurance. But if you make an effort to normalize your cholesterol and blood pressure, life insurance rates could drop significantly. Learn the relationship between cholesterol, blood pressure and life insurance rates by reading this article.
Cholesterol and Life Insurance
Did you know that roughly a quarter of adult Americans have above normal cholesterol levels? Not only is high cholesterol dangerous to your health, but it may increase the amount of money you pay for life insurance. Checking your cholesterol levels regularly and lowering high levels can aid you both physically and financially.
Blood Pressure and Life Insurance
Like high cholesterol, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease and other health problems, and may contribute to higher life insurance costs. Healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels are largely dependent on your gender and age, and most life insurance companies have levels they consider acceptable and other levels they consider preferred (which may qualify you for discounted rates).
Normal adult blood pressure is generally identified as 130 over 85. You are considered to have high blood pressure, or hypertensive, if your blood pressure is at or above 140 over 90. A blood pressure level at or slightly above 140 over 90 is regarded as low-grade hypertension, and this alone will usually not raise your life insurance costs. But combined with another underwriting factor, hypertension is likely to raise your costs.
Keep in mind that many people respond well to medications that help lower their blood pressure and/or cholesterol levels. If you have successfully lowered your levels, your past higher levels should not affect your life insurance costs.
Lose Weight, Save Money on Term Life Insurance
While the liver naturally produces cholesterol for normal body functions, elevated levels can lead to heart disease and other maladies. Most doctors recommend that you keep your cholesterol below 200; with your LDL, or low density lipoprotein level, below 100. However, a slightly elevated cholesterol level will not generally impact your life insurance costs. If you have severely elevated levels of cholesterol, or have slightly elevated levels combined with another negative underwriting factor, such as blood pressure or weight, your costs may be higher.
With the percentage of American adults that are considered overweight increasing, it is more important than ever to keep yourself fit and healthy. Nearly 20% of U.S. adults are considered obese, and obesity, along with other underwriting factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol, can lead to serious health problems.
Your Physical Build
Most life insurance companies take your basic build into consideration when determining insurance costs. Your build is your height to weight ratio; if you weigh too much for your height, you may find that your life insurance rates will be higher. However, once again, take this in moderation - being 10-15 pounds overweight and you don't have another other risk factors, it is unlikely to affect your costs. But, if you are more than 30 pounds over the ideal weight as determined by the American Medical Association, your life insurance costs will probably be higher.
To be considered for preferred low life insurance rates, it is important to keep your height to weight ratio at or near the normal range for your body type. Remember, it is always important to shop around before you purchase any life insurance policy.