Height Plays Role In Heart Failure, Men Need Critical Illness Insurance Planning

Feb. 28, 2012 - PRLog -- Men who are six feet tll or taller have a significantly lower risk of having heart failure according to new research.

Heart failure affects nearly five million Americans according to theAmerican Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the national trade organization.   Heart failure is defined as a condition when the heart is too weak to pump blood and oxygen to the body’s organs.

Researchers analyzed data from over 22,000 male doctors who were divided into four categories based on their height.  The scientists found that the tallest doctors, those who were between six feet and six feet eight inches saw a 24 percent drop in the risk of developing heart failure compared to the doctors in ther shortest category.  These doctors were five feet seven inches tall or shorter.

"Heart disease and heart failure is no longer an immediate death sentence but the financial ramifications are enormous forcing many Americans into bankruptcy," explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the national trade organization.  "Some 60 percent of bankruptcies are due to medical bills and 78 percent of these individuals had health insurance when the health incident first occurred."

"Heart disease is one of the leading critical illnesses impacting men along with cancer," Slome explains.  There were 780,000 new coronary attacks this year according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance http://www.criticalillnessinsuranceinfo.org report.  "Today heart attacks are survivable but  medical expenses are now a leading cause of financial bankruptcy," Slome adds.  "Even the best insurance policies no longer cover every cost associated with treating cancers and families face huge expenses,"

Individuals interested in receiving a cost quote for critical illness insurance from a designated American Association for Critical Illness Insurance professional can complete the organization's free quote request
form accessible at http://www.criticalillnessinsuranceinfo.org or obtain information by calling the Association's offices.

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The American Association for Critical Illness Insurance http://www.criticalillnessinsuranceinfo.org is a national trade organization. Get info and costs at their Consumer Information Center: http://www.criticalillnessinsuranceinfo.org/learning-center/