Will High Cholesterol Affect My Life Insurance Rates

last updated on September 25, 2023

Written by Daniel Ray, Life Insurance Expert | ✅ Fact Checked by

Lisamarie Monaco | Editorial Disclosure

A common question by many, will high cholesterol affect my life insurance rates? We will go over this and how insurance carriers look at cholesterol and your health overall.

Across the country, countless families face health hurdles daily. High cholesterol stands out as a prevalent concern, impacting not only health but also life insurance aspects.

You may ask, “How will my high cholesterol levels affect my prospects of getting a life insurance policy?” or “Could my rates increase due to my cholesterol count?” Many share these questions.

Let’s delve into this matter, breaking it down for clarity.

How High Cholesterol Affects Life Insurance Premiums
How does my Exact Cholesterol Number Affect my Life Insurance
How Cholesterol Medications Influence Insurance Underwriting
What’s The Difference Between Dietary Cholesterol and Blood Cholesterol
Increased Health Risks Caused By High Cholesterol
FAQs
Conclusion

How High Cholesterol Affects Life Insurance Premiums

What are the effects of cholesterol medication on life insurance?

Treated High cholesterol or taking cholesterol medication can undoubtedly make getting life insurance more difficult.

Luckily, our company reviews can help you sort out the best life insurance companies for your condition, such as Banner Life Insurance Review.

High cholesterol often is associated with blood pressure issues, inactivity, and family history. Some lifestyle issues like smoking, obesity and other things can negatively impact your life insurance rates.

However, it is still possible to find reasonable rates.

Furthermore, in some cases, a person with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, will be given a cholesterol and blood pressure medication cocktail to keep blood levels in a normal range.

How does my Exact Cholesterol Number Affect my Life Insurance

How high cholesterol affects your life insurance application….

Of course, the higher your cholesterol number, the fewer offers you will receive.

What you need to do is find out which life insurance companies have more lenient underwriting for those with high cholesterol or those taking cholesterol medication.

How does treated Cholesterol affect Life Insurance Rates?

Without doing this, you may find that most companies consider you a high risk for life insurance, and your rates will be absurdly high.

At PinnacleQuote, we can find which life insurance companies will go the easiest on you, considering your cholesterol number. If your cholesterol is high and un-managed, you are considered a special risk to most insurance companies.

However, not in comparison with getting life insurance after DUI.

How Cholesterol Medications Influence Insurance Underwriting

For those with high cholesterol or for those taking cholesterol medications, you’ll need to answer several questions before any company will accurately provide a rating class decision about your life insurance.

There are so many different cholesterol medications. In fact, these medications come with various side effects.

Even if you are taking cholesterol medication, you can still find decent rates.

In fact, it’s much better to take medication that controls your cholesterol or blood pressure, than to not takes medication and have fluctuating cholesterol or blood pressure.

Each life insurance company has a different underwriting for health conditions, meaning it’s essential to shop around and find the best option for you.

Above all, if you are in your 40’s, you will want to get a 20-year term life insurance policy. This should provide enough time to get you to retirement.

For those looking for life insurance for smokers, some studies have proven that there is a direct impact on cholesterol if you smoke.

WHAT IF MY LIFE INSURANCE RATES ARE TOO HIGH

Securing affordable life insurance can indeed be a daunting task, especially if your bad cholesterol is high while your good cholesterol lags behind. Furthermore, individuals with high cholesterol typically exhibit an elevated total cholesterol level.

If you’re having difficulty getting a fair cholesterol quote, consider the following:

First, what can you afford? It’s helpful to break down your monthly budget before choosing a life insurance plan. Especially if you are an applicant with high cholesterol.
Next, if you are having trouble affording any permanent life insurance policies, consider looking at term life insurance policies. As in some cases their life insurance cholesterol guidelines may be more lenient.
You have the power to lower your rates! All you need to do is live a healthier lifestyle: quit smoking, exercise more, eat healthier, etc. This combo will ultimately lower your life insurance premiums.
Finally, you can always go with Guaranteed Issue life insurance policies. They can be expensive, but they often come with excellent death benefits.

Finding cheap life insurance with high blood pressure and high cholesterol can undoubtedly be difficult. But there are life insurance companies more lenient about blood pressure.

We can’t stress enough how much of an impact it is leading a healthier lifestyle can have on your health insurance rates and life insurance rates.

In fact, specific foods can even help lower your cholesterol! Life insurance for seniors over 75, with cholesterol issues, really will not have an impact on the rate if ratios and overall HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels are within range.

What’s The Difference Between Dietary Cholesterol and Blood Cholesterol

Cholesterol, like most things to do with our body, is still being researched. For example, up until recently, you may have heard about certain breakfast foods that can poorly affect your cholesterol. Well, this was proved false.

Dietary cholesterol should not be of concern. Instead, it is the cholesterol in your blood that life insurance companies want to know.

In fact, some cholesterol is necessary for us to remain healthy, as it has several essential functions. Check out these Dietary Guidelines to learn more.

Treated Cholesterol and Life Insurance Rates

Most Life Insurance carriers will consider a good rating class with under a 300 cholesterol level. This also includes making sure the HDL cholesterol level ratios are in a healthy range.

However, cholesterol over 300 will have an impact on the rate. Optimal cholesterol is under 240, so is 240 cholesterol high? Not in the eyes of most top life insurance companies.

Again, life insurance with high cholesterol will vary ratings-wise as life insurance carriers have different guidelines.

The medical term for high cholesterol is lipid disorder, hyperlipidemia, or hypercholesterolemia.

What is a cholesterol ratio?

Your physician will use your cholesterol levels and divide the total cholesterol by the high-density lipoprotein level.

Ideally, you would want your ratio between 3.5 and 1. If your doctor does blood work on you and your ratio comes back higher, you are at risk for heart disease.

In men, 5.0 is the average risk and in women 4.4 is the average risk.

Anything above that, you are at twice the risk for heart disease! If you feel you have high cholesterol, see your doctor and get blood work. Always better safe than sorry!

It is also better to find out from your doctor and put a game plan together than to get blindsided by the results of your medical exam by the life insurance company.

Here are some of the best carriers for cholesterol ratios that will impact high cholesterol life insurance.

Carrier	Preferred Best	Preferred	Standard Plus	Cholesterol Treatment Allowed
American National	5 HDL ratio or less w/300 Total	5.5 HDL ratio or less w/300 Total	6 HDL ratio or less w/300 Total	Untreated cholesterol of <130 will not be eligible for Std. Plus, Pref. or Pref. Plus
Principal (Ages 65-85)	5 HDL ratio or less w/260 total	6 HDL ratio or less w/280 total	7 HDL ratio or less w/300 total	Yes
Prudential	5 HDL ratio or less	6 HDL ratio or less	7 HDL ratio or less	Yes. Up to 300 for all classes
SBLI (Male)	5 HDL ratio or less	5.5 HDL ratio or less	6 HDL ratio or less	Treated or Untreated total cholesterol 120 – 300 max for all classes

Prudential life insurance cholesterol guidelines are among the best.

Increased Health Risks Caused By High Cholesterol

High cholesterol isn’t just a number—it’s a genuine health concern. When it gets too high, it can gunk up our arteries, making it tough for blood to flow as it should.

Obesity can make this worse, upping those cholesterol levels even more.

One big worry? Coronary Heart Disease. Essentially, when cholesterol builds up in the arteries, it narrows them. This narrowing can lead to chest pains or, worse, heart attacks. Think of it like a blocked hose; if it’s completely blocked, the flow stops. And that’s bad news for the heart.

Strokes are another concern. They happen when a brain vessel gets blocked or bursts. If the brain doesn’t get the blood and oxygen it needs, it can be damaged.

Then there’s Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). It’s about issues in blood vessels outside the heart and brain. Like in our legs, feet, and even kidneys. Too much fatty buildup in these arteries can hinder blood flow.

OTHER HEALTH-RELATED RISKS

Type 2 diabetes is another disease linked to high LDL cholesterol due to the fact diabetes can affect specific cholesterol levels.

Even if blood sugar control is right, human beings with diabetes generally tend to have improved triglycerides, reduced excessive-density lipoprotein (HDL), and every so often increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This will increase the probability of developing atherosclerosis.

High Blood Pressure: Excessive or high blood pressure (hypertension) and excessive LDL cholesterol also are linked. while the arteries grow to be hardened and narrowed with LDL cholesterol plaque and calcium (atherosclerosis), the heart has to stress plenty tougher to pump blood through them.

As an end result, blood strain will become abnormally high. This will lead to cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

MORE RISK FACTORS

Other elements which could increase your chance of high LDL cholesterol encompass:

Bad Eating/Poor Diet

Firstly, eating saturated fats, which are found in animal products, and trans fats, commonly present in some commercially baked cookies and crackers, can elevate your cholesterol level. Additionally, foods that are high in cholesterol, such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, can further boost your overall cholesterol.

Obesity

Being Overweight and having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more places you at risk of high LDL cholesterol.

(LWC)Large Waist Circumference

Your chance will increase if you are a man with a waist circumference of a minimum of forty inches (102 centimeters). Also, a lady with a waist circumference of at least 35 inches (89 centimeters).

Not Exercising or Working Out

Having a gym membership and working out will assist in lowering your body’s HDL. In addition, “proper,” LDL cholesterol at the same time as growing the scale of the debris that makes up your LDL. LDL cholesterol, which makes it much less dangerous.

Smoking

Cigarette smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them likely to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking may lower your degree of HDL, or “accurate,” LDL cholesterol.

Can I lower my cholesterol effectively without medication

What is the best way to reduce cholesterol levels?

According to research your heart health and cholesterol go hand in hand. Some of the best ways to improve your cholesterol is by reducing red meat, eat heart-healthy foods, 30-minute workouts, take omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil.

Also using olive oil in lieu of other oils, taking soluble fiber to help with weight loss and good diet habits.

We also recommend the keto diet, this has an unbelievable impact on lowering your cholesterol levels

How to lower cholesterol for blood test life insurance?

Drink Plenty of Water!
Watch Your Diet!
No Alcohol for a Week Before the Exam!
Avoid Exercise on the Day of the Exam!
Don’t Eat on Exam Day!
Avoid Stressful Situations a Few Days Before Your Exam!
Dress Light For the Weigh-in and Stand Up Tall For the Measuring!!!!

Related Articles

FAQs

Will my life insurance application be rejected due to high cholesterol?
Not necessarily. While it might influence your premiums, rejection typically occurs only in extreme cases coupled with other severe health issues.

Can lifestyle changes complement cholesterol medication?
Absolutely! A balanced diet, regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco can work wonders in conjunction with medication.

How often should I check my cholesterol if I have a life insurance policy?
Regular health checkups, at least annually, are recommended. It helps in monitoring and managing the condition, ensuring your policy remains valid.

Conclusion

High cholesterol shouldn’t deter you from seeking life insurance. By being informed and proactive, you can find an insurance policy tailored to your needs, ensuring that your family remains financially secure, no matter what the future holds.

At PinnacleQuote Life Insurance Specialists, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

More Life Insurance Resources