Travel Insurance for High Cholesterol

What is high cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance carried in your blood. Your body needs some of it, but too much can build up in the walls of your arteries and narrow them. That raises the chance of a heart attack or stroke, which is why it sits among the blood and circulatory conditions we ask about.

High cholesterol rarely causes symptoms, so most people only find out from a blood test. Diet, smoking, weight, and exercise all play a part, and for some it runs in the family (familial hypercholesterolaemia). Treatment ranges from lifestyle changes to statins or other medicines. The NHS high cholesterol page explains the numbers and the options.

Why do I need to declare high cholesterol for travel insurance?

If high cholesterol has been diagnosed or you take medication for it, it normally counts as a pre-existing medical condition. We ask because raised cholesterol is linked to narrowed arteries, which can lead to chest pain, a heart attack, or a stroke while you’re away. It also gives a fuller picture of your health alongside any other heart or circulation conditions you have.

If it’s left off the policy, a related claim could be refused or paid at a reduced level.

You won’t need to declare every medical condition you’ve ever had or been diagnosed with, only those that fall into the initial set of medical questions.

Can I get travel insurance with high cholesterol?

Usually, yes. On its own and well managed, high cholesterol is one of the more straightforward conditions to screen, though the outcome still depends on your screening result. The screening looks more closely when it comes with other things, for example high blood pressure, diabetes, angina or a past heart attack, and those are screened as well.

What we’ll ask about your high cholesterol

It only takes a few minutes to get through the online medical screening. The questions about your high cholesterol focus on the medication you take and whether you have any related heart conditions. Once that’s done, carry on declaring any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions.

Once everything is declared, you’ll reach the quote page. If cover is available for your high cholesterol and your other conditions, you’ll see a choice of quotes, each with the cost of your medical cover included in the premium. Should we be unable to cover you, you’ll know before proceeding.

If your health changes before travelling

Cholesterol treatment can change between check-ups. If, before your trip, you start or change medication, you go into hospital, you’re referred to a specialist, or you’re diagnosed with something new, you must let us know. Your cover may need reviewing, we may need to refer your medical situation to the underwriters, and in some cases we may not be able to proceed with cover. If you don’t let us know of any changes in your medical, a future claim can be affected or denied.

What can high cholesterol travel insurance cover?

When high cholesterol is accepted on your policy, emergency medical treatment abroad linked to it can be covered. Say you developed chest pain on a coach tour in Italy and were admitted for tests. Hospital costs could be claimed, and so could repatriation if you needed medical help to get home. This is all subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

If a related health problem before you leave means your doctor says you shouldn’t travel, cancellation cover may help you recover non-refundable costs.

Routine check-ups, planned treatment abroad or anything connected to a condition you didn’t declare won’t be covered.

Will high cholesterol affect the cost of travel insurance?

It may. On its own, high cholesterol is fairly simple to screen, but the result of our online medical screening is what settles any change to the price. You might be asked how it’s treated and how well your levels are controlled. Things like your age, trip length and destination count as well, and you’ll see the price before you commit.

Single trip or annual cover with high cholesterol

For one holiday, single trip insurance keeps things simple. People who travel a few times a year often find annual travel insurance easier, and it may cost less overall. Whether annual cover is available depends on your screening result.

Travelling with high cholesterol: practical tips

None of the advice below forms part of your policy. It’s simply general guidance for the trip.

Keep taking your tablets. Statins work over the long term, and a holiday is when routines slip. If you’re crossing several time zones, a pharmacist can help you work out when to take each dose. Pack enough for the whole trip plus a few extra days, in your hand luggage and original packaging.

Long flights carry a small risk of blood clots, more so if you already have circulation problems. Get up and walk the aisle now and then, flex your ankles while you’re sitting, and drink plenty of water. Our page on DVT has more on this.

Holiday food tends to be richer than at home. Nobody expects you to skip the local dishes, but balancing a heavy dinner with a lighter lunch, or walking to a restaurant rather than taking a taxi, is an easy habit to keep.

Some statins don’t mix well with large amounts of grapefruit juice. If yours is one of them, keep that in mind at the breakfast buffet. Your pharmacist can tell you if it applies.

Finally, know the warning signs of a heart attack or stroke, such as chest pain, sudden weakness on one side or slurred speech, and look up the local emergency number before you go. In Europe it’s 112.

How to get a quote

Enter your trip details, then complete the medical questions for high cholesterol and any other conditions you have. The price is shown before you buy.

Get a Quote

Other Useful Circulatory Pages

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Travel Insurance
• Atherosclerosis Travel Insurance
• Blood Clots Travel Insurance
• Brain Aneurysm Travel Insurance
• Cardiovascular Disease Travel Insurance
• Deep Vein Thrombosis Travel Insurance
• Haemophilia Travel Insurance
• High Blood Pressure Travel Insurance
• High Cholesterol Travel Insurance
• Iron Deficiency Anaemia Travel Insurance
• Kawasaki Disease Travel Insurance
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• Sickle Cell Disease Travel Insurance
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• Thalassaemia Travel Insurance
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• Vascular Dementia Travel Insurance

Don't worry if your condition is not listed above - we cover plenty more medical conditions.
* Please note that cover will vary depending on individual medical screenings.