Diabetes in Australia is our fastest growing chronic condition
The onset of Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM) occurs most frequently in people under 30 years, however, new research suggests almost half of all people who develop the condition are diagnosed over the age of 30.
Each day 280 Australians develop diabetes:
- 56% are males
- 44% are females
What's the average age of diagnosis?
- 92% of people with Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were 45 years old or more, and
- 45% of those were 65 years or more
Worldwide, the disease affects more than 415 million people with 5 million deaths every year.
The growing link to cancers
In a recent global study of 20 million people, published in the European Journal of Diabetes, Diabetologia, researchers found diabetes significantly raises the risk of developing cancer.
It’s believed that heightened blood glucose may have cancer-causing effects leading to DNA damage.
The study showed women are at an increased risk with;
- 15% higher risk for developing leukaemia,
- 14% higher risk for cancer of the stomach,
- 13% for the mouth, and
- 11% for the kidney.
One of the reasons why women may be exposed to a higher risk is women are in a pre-diabetic state of impaired glucose tolerance two years longer on average than men.
Diabetes and Life Insurance and Income Protection Insurance
For people who have a pre-existing condition, like diabetes, statistically speaking, the risk of you needing to make a claim is higher so this will need to be considered by the medical underwriters.
For people living with diabetes, the level of control is usually measured by the HbA1c reading (sometimes referred to as Hemoglobin A1C reading).
Key risks for people with Type 2 Diabetes
- Death and Disability - x2 times more likely
- Heart disease - x4 more likely
- Stroke - x4 more likely
- Kidney failure - x3 time more likely
- Amputations - x15 times more likely
- Cancer - 25% risk of developing a cancer
- Eye damage (retinopathy) affects one in six people and is the most common form of blindness in adults aged 30-60 years
So can a person with diabetes get life insurance?
Yes, but only if you know which specialty supplier matches your individual health conditions. And that's our specialty.
What information will an insurance company request?
The medical insurance underwriters will need to assess how well-controlled your diabetes is. By supplying key information ahead of time, the medical underwriter can review the level of control of your diabetes.
To get the process started we'll need the following information;
- Your age today
- Your age at diagnosis
- If its Type 1 or Type 2
- Your current height and weight
- A list of your current medications and dosage
- Your most recent HBA1C result
- Normal 'resting' ECG and normal 'stress' ECG
- Your blood pressure
- Confirmation you don't pass protein
People with diabetes are at a heightened risk of developing severe complications, so need to get their personal insurance in place sooner rather than later before possible complications may arise; and we're the specialists who can help you do that.
