Mortality Risk of Low BMI in Life Insurance Applicants.

Objectives: -This study seeks to quantify the mortality effect of low levels of body mass index (BMI) on life insurance applicants who, based on their laboratory profile and other information, appear to be suitable for life insurance coverage.

Background: -It has been demonstrated that low BMI is associated with higher mortality risk than normal or near-normal BMI.

Methods: -Data were collected from over 4.

Correlates and Predictors of NT-proBNP in Life Insurance Applicants.

Objectives: -To document the various laboratory and demographic/historical correlates of NT-proBNP levels in applicants for life insurance, and to explore the accuracy of a prediction model based on those variables.

Method: -NT-proBNP blood test results were obtained from 1.34 million insurance applicants between the age of 50 and 85 years, beginning in 2003.

Prevalence of Antibodies to COVID-19 Due to Infection or Vaccination in US Adults.

Objective: -Determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in a population applying for life insurance.

Setting: -This is a cross-sectional study of 2584 US life insurance applicants, to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to COVID-19. This convenience sample was selected on two consecutive days April 25-26, 2022.

Prevalence of Antibodies to COVID-19 Due to Infection or Vaccination in US Adults.

Objective: -Determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in a population applying for life insurance.

Setting: -This is a cross-sectional study of 2584 US life insurance applicants, to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to COVID-19. This convenience sample was selected on two consecutive days April 25-26, 2022.

Association of Liver Function Tests with Mortality in an Insurance Applicant Population.

Objectives: -Determine the relationship between liver function test (LFT) results (GGT, alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT and albumin) and all-cause mortality in life insurance applicants.

Method: -By use of the Social Security Master Death File, mortality was examined in 15,272,955 insurance applicants for whom blood samples were submitted to the Clinical Reference Laboratory. There were 268,593 deaths observed in this study population, after an average follow-up time of 10.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in the US Adult Asymptomatic Population as of September 30, 2020.

This cross-sectional study of a sample of healthy adults assesses the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the US asymptomatic population as of September 30, 2020.

Activity Level as a Mortality Predictor in a Population Sample after Typical Underwriting Exclusions and Laboratory Scoring.

  To quantify the effect of physical activity on the mortality rates of healthy individuals in a population sample, after controlling for other sources of mortality risk. The widespread availability of activity monitors has spurred life insurance companies to consider incorporating such data into their underwriting practices. Studies have shown that sedentary lifestyles are associated with poor health outcomes and higher risks of death.

Association of Carcinoembryonic Antigen with Mortality in an Insurance Applicant Population.

To quantify the mortality risks associated with elevated levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Carcinoembryonic antigen is cell surface glycoprotein and has been associated with the presence of high grade or metastatic cancers of the colon as well as other malignant and non-malignant disease. Prior publications have demonstrated the utility of CEA levels in the determination of mortality risk in life insurance applicants.

All-Cause Mortality for Life Insurance Applicants with the Presence of Bundle Branch Block.

To determine the all-cause mortality of life insurance applicants who have a bundle branch block. Bundle branch block is an electrocardiographic pattern that has variable prognostic implications. Research studies have shown that both left and right bundle branch block are associated with increased mortality among cases that have heart disease.

All-Cause Mortality for Life Insurance Applicants with a Family History of Coronary Artery Disease Before 60.

Objective: -To determine the all-cause mortality of life insurance applicants having a family history of coronary artery disease (CAD) before age 60.

Background: -Epidemiological studies have shown that a family history of premature CAD is an independent risk factor for CAD events. The strength of the association between family history and CAD is greatest with earlier age of presentation of CAD in the family member and when multiple family members are affected.

All-Cause Mortality for Life Insurance Applicants with a History of Prostate Cancer.

Objective: - To determine the all-cause mortality of life insurance applicants diagnosed with prostate cancer currently or at some time in the past.

Background: - Prostate cancer is common and a frequent cause of cancer death. Both the frequency of prostate cancer in men and its propensity for causing premature mortality require insurance company medical directors and underwriters to have a good understanding of prostate cancer-related mortality trends, patterns, and outcomes in the insured population.

Random Forest.

For the task of analyzing survival data to derive risk factors associated with mortality, physicians, researchers, and biostatisticians have typically relied on certain types of regression techniques, most notably the Cox model. With the advent of more widely distributed computing power, methods which require more complex mathematics have become increasingly common. Particularly in this era of "big data" and machine learning, survival analysis has become methodologically broader.

All-Cause Mortality for Life Insurance Applicants with a History of Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Breast cancer is also the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States after lung cancer with over 40,000 breast cancer deaths occurring each year. The purpose of this research was to determine the all-cause mortality of applicants diagnosed with breast cancer currently or at some time in the past.

All-Cause Mortality for Diabetics or Individuals with Hyperglycemia Applying for Life Insurance.

Diabetics and individuals with lab results consistent with a diagnosis of diabetes or hyperglycemia were extracted from data covering US residents who applied for life insurance between January 2007 and January 2014. Information about these applicants was matched to the Social Security Death Master File (SSDMF) and another commercially available death source file to determine vital status. Due to the inconsistencies of reporting within the death files, there were two cohorts of death cases, one including the imputed year of birth (full cohort of deaths), and the second where the date of birth was known (reduced cohort of deaths).

Response after treatment for advanced hepatitis C--a mortality abstract.

This article presents an analysis of a recently published study of the survival experience among a group of patients treated for hepatitis C with advanced hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis, divided into groups based on whether or not sustained virological response was achieved. The purpose is to evaluate the magnitude of excess mortality relative to a comparison population. The potential errors inherent in generating mock age/sex distributions from limited published data are also highlighted.

The Long QT Syndrome: A Review and Mortality Analysis.

Objective .- To provide a recent review of literature pertinent to the assessment of life risk for individuals with a history of long QT syndrome (LQTS) and assess the mortality risk of a subset of these patients. Methods .

Breast cancer micrometastasis--a mortality abstract.

This article presents an analysis of a survival study involving women with a history of breast cancer and either no nodal metastases, nodal micrometastases or nodal macrometastases, for the purpose of determining approximate life insurance ratings. In addition, a modification to the traditional method of determining the mortality rates of a comparison population is presented.

Issues in breast cancer with minimal nodal involvement.

An overview of the literature pertaining to the mortality risks posed by breast cancers with micrometastases or isolated tumor cells found in the lymph nodes is presented. Also addressed is the current debate about the appropriateness of omitting a completion axillary node dissection when minimal disease has been detected via sentinel node immunohistochemistry. A companion article will present an analysis of survival data generated by one particular study of women with microscopic nodal involvement vs those with macroscopic involvement and those with no nodal disease.

Life risk assessment in cancer: a guide to using the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program.

A guide to the use of SEER data to analyze cancer survival using the SEER*Stat software package is presented. Relative and cause-specific survival techniques are demonstrated via examples, and the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches are explored.

A simple method for computer-based survival curve measurement.

An easy-to-use method for generating tabular data from a survival curve is given. This technique measures a given survival curve in units of pixels, then converts the data to a table of cumulative survival (P) vs time utilizing software already present on most computer systems.