Heart Disease Can Mean Higher Insurance Rates

6/25/2010

People who are in the market for private health insurance policies have long known that pre-existing conditions like heart disease can result in significantly higher premium costs.

With that in mind, taking steps like exercising and following a healthy diet can be seen as something of a financial investment as well as a step toward enjoying a longer life.

One area that Americans have long struggled with is the amount of sodium in their diets, since this can greatly increase one's risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. In fact, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that only about 10 percent of the American public is following a sodium-healthy diet.

According to the CDC, the average U.S. adult now consumes 3,466 milligrams of sodium per day, which is more than twice the recommended daily limit. Much of this extra sodium is found in processed grains and meats. A whopping 77 percent of dietary sodium is said to come from processed and restaurant foods.

"Public health professionals, together with food manufacturers, retailers and health care providers, must take action now to help support people's efforts to reduce their sodium consumption," said CDC public health analyst Janelle Peralez Gunn, author of the report.

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