Home / Critical illness cover / - Heart attack
Background information
Every year there are an estimated 280,000 heart attacks in the UK - that's one every 2 minutes.
Less than half of those who have a heart attack die within 28 days.
Coronary Heart Disease is the most common cause of premature death.
About 28,000 coronary artery by-pass grafts are carried out each year - a 5-fold increase since 1980.
The number of coronary angioplasties has also increased, with 14,000 now being carried out annually.
Around 2.6 million people are currently suffering from coronary heart disease.
(British Heart Foundation, 2002)
In 2000, over 120,000 people died from coronary heart disease. That's around 330 deaths every day.
(Office for National Statistics, 2001)
Studies have indicated that two-thirds of men suffering their first heart attack will survive for a minimum of 5 years.
( Munich Re, 2002)
Definition
The death of a portion of heart muscle, due to inadequate blood supply, that has resulted in all of the following evidence of acute myocardial infarction:
- new characteristic electrocardiographic changes;
- the characteristic rise of cardiac enzymes, troponins or other biochemical markers;
where all of the above shows a definite acute myocardial infarction. Other acute coronary syndromes, including but not limited to angina, are not covered under this definition.
What does this mean?
The body needs oxygen to survive and it receives this from the blood. The heart is effectively a pump, which ensures that oxygenated blood circulates through the body to where it is needed.
The heart itself also needs oxygen to continue to work effectively. If the supply of oxygen to the heart is cut off then a portion of the heart muscle is damaged. This can be caused by the blockage of a coronary artery.
Arteries can become blocked by fatty material or by blood clots. Damage to the heart muscle usually causes severe pain and results in an increase in cardiac enzymes and the introduction of troponins, which are released into the blood.
A heart attack will also result in electrocardiograph changes. Angina produces similar symptoms to an actual heart attack, but is caused by a reduction in the supply of blood to the heart rather than a complete blockage. Heart muscle does not die as a result.
Angina may be an early indication that a future heart attack is likely. Angina is not covered.
29 February 2008 17:16:04
Researchers in America claim to have discovered a gene that is able to block HIV and could stop the onset of AIDS - news that may affect the life insurance premiums of sufferers.
Dr Stephen Barr, a researcher from the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Alberta, claims his team has identified a human gene called TRIM22 that prevents the assembly of the HIV virus, reports Medical News Today.
When cells were prevented from turning on TRIM22, the body's defense system was unable to block HIV infection meaning TRIM22 is an essential part of our body's ability to fight off HIV, he explained.
"We hope that our research will lead to the design of new drugs and/or vaccines that can halt the person-to-person transmission of HIV and the spread of the virus in the body, thereby blocking the onset of AIDS," Dr Barr added.
According to international AIDS charity Avert, an estimated 73,000 people are currently living with HIV in the UK.
VC Jobs is the sector's dedicated site for venture capital jobs and private equity jobs, covering all functions within the firms form analyst and associate to partner and MD.
By Hannah Baker
10 October 2007 16:08:29
The importance of critical illness cover has been underlined by new research showing the long-term effects of a stressful job.
Individuals can reportedly double their risk of heart problems if they have already had a heart attack and they are stressed at work.
Scientists from University Laval in Quebec asked 972 men and women aged 35 to 59 years who had returned to work after a heart attack to rate their job strain.
After almost six years they returned to the participants and found that 206 of them had a confirmed recurrent coronary heart disease (CHD) event.
Commenting that chronic job strain was associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of recurrent CHD events after taking other factors into account, the researchers advised that patients and doctors put a greater emphasis on evaluating work stress.
"These results suggest that preventive interventions aimed at reducing job strain might have a significant impact on recurrent CHD events," they wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
A recent survey revealed the impact of Britain's long working hours on people's health.
Legal and General questioned over 2,000 people about their health anxieties over the last three months and found that over a fifth felt stressed by their daily routines.
03 December 2007 13:20:18
People looking for critical illness cover have been reminded to explore all their options before settling on a policy.
Independent financial experts IFA Brokers highlighted that critical illness insurance policies and the conditions they cover vary widely, while anyone seeking a premium should do it sooner rather than later.
"Critical illness insurance pays benefits on the diagnosis of certain specified critical illnesses; the range of diseases covered has increased to more than 30, though contracts differ from one company to another," observed a spokesperson for the organisation.
"Policies should cover seven core conditions: cancer, coronary artery bypass, heart attack, kidney failure, major organ transplant, multiple sclerosis and stroke. They will also pay out if a policyholder becomes permanently disabled as a result of injury or illness," the representative continued.
With serious illness affecting one in four women and one in five men before they reach retirement age, critical illness insurance is designed to ease financial pressures by paying a tax-free lump sum if an individual becomes seriously ill or disabled.
IFA Brokers noted that rises in claims and the cost of advances in medical technology have led many insurers to cut back on the conditions they cover, or to impose restrictions on what counts as a critical illness.
Direct Life and Pensions Services Ltd are one of the UK's leading providers of life insurance, term life assurance, mortgage protection, critical illness and life insurance advice online
