Cardiovascular risk factors, BMI and mortality in a cohort of Swiss males (1976-2001) with high-sum-assured life insurance cover.

Background: This long-term study investigates the influence of body mass index, blood pressure, smoking habits, impaired glucose metabolism and history of any disease on the mortality of Swiss males holding life insurance cover with high sums assured.

Methods: In a prospective study (1976-2001) including 22,927 Swiss insured males holding life insurance cover with high sums assured, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was compared with data from the general population. The relationship between BMI and all-cause mortality was assessed using a Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age and calendar year, thereby controlling for mortality improvement over time.

Mortality in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) and the Swiss general population.

Because of high death rates in the past, patients with HIV-1 cannot obtain life insurance. We measured mortality rates in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) from 1997 to 2001 and compared them with those of the Swiss reference population. In patients who were successfully treated with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART), and who were not also infected with the hepatitis C virus, excess death rates were below five per thousand per year.