Medical advances are powering ahead and life insurance definitions aren’t keeping up, says specialist consultant physician John Cummins.

“We can now replace an aortic valve without opening a chest,” he told delegates at the Association of Financial Advisers conference on the Gold Coast last week.

“But insurance policies exclude this from claims as it is only a one-day event.

“So the client who has their chest opened will receive a payment, but the other doesn’t.”

Dr Cummins says insurers would not write policies 15 years ago for people with HIV/AIDS.

“In 2011, the lifespan of somebody with HIV/AIDS is approaching normal if they take the medicine,” he said. “Heart diseases deaths are falling and so are stroke rates, as we are treating blood pressure better.”

The use of statins has dropped morbidity rates by about 30%.

Dr Cummins says the standard ulcer treatment when he trained to be a doctor was to operate; now it is always treated by medication.

“We are getting better at diagnosing cancer and we are also understanding which cancers to treat,” he said.

New medicines are prolonging life and in the US average life expectancy has increased by 10%, which equates to another seven years.

But while medicine is treating a number of traditional causes of death better, lifestyle is defeating some of these advances.

“As obesity increases, our children may end up not living as long as their parents – the first time there has been a decline,” he said.

“Today 90% of cardiovascular disease is caused by lifestyle.”