Improving metabolic health could reduce cancer claims in L&H, says Swiss Re

Improving lifestyle and metabolic health has significant potential to reduce cancer-related claims in Life & Health (L&H) insurance within a few years, according to Tobias Schiergens and John Schoonbee of Swiss Re.

Schiergens, the Senior Global Medical Officer, CUO L&H Reinsurance, and Schoonbee, the Global Chief Medical Officer, note that cancer is one of the leading causes of claims in L&H insurance.

In a joint article, they emphasise the growing link between metabolic risks and certain types of cancer, which is becoming an increasingly serious health concern.

These rising metabolic risks include poor diet, physical inactivity, and metabolic disease such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity.

Cancer types associated with these risks include tumours of the endometrium (uterus), pancreas, colorectum, liver, biliary tract, kidney, bladder, oesophagus, breast, thyroid, brain, ovaries, and stomach.

The article suggests that addressing metabolic health factors like insulin levels, visceral fat, and physical inactivity could potentially reduce cancer-related claims.

This can be achieved through lifestyle changes, as well as pharmacologic and surgical treatments. For example, lowering circulating insulin levels—ideally through improved nutrition, which is both low-cost and safe—and maintaining a healthy weight combined with regular physical activity have been linked to a reduced cancer risk.

“Even after a cancer diagnosis, adherence to a healthy lifestyle has resulted in better outcomes such as reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence with improved survival,” said Schiergens and Schoonbee.

In the UK, Swiss Re is testing the benefits of metabolic health programs on its employees and a group of Income Protection disability claimants—people who have been unable to work for at least 12 months and have not responded to traditional rehabilitation methods. The Metabolic Health Rehab program, run in partnership with Combe Grove, has already shown some early success, with participants returning to work.

Over time, these initiatives could also help reduce cancer rates, though larger studies will be needed to confirm this impact.

“In the context of this article, these data underpin the significant potential of improving metabolic risks especially in critical illness and life insurance portfolios with regard to cancer-related claim rates. It is important to acknowledge how these risks – especially nutrition including nutritional guidelines – impact metabolic health with respective non-obvious implications for life and health insurers,” the article concluded.

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