Why you should use our high cholesterol travel insurance…

Firstly, what exactly is high cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty or waxy substance known as a lipid which is used by your body to function normally. Cholesterol is not bad, but an excessively high level in your blood can increase your risk of serious health conditions. 

Cholesterol is carried in your blood by proteins which combine to create lipoproteins.

The two main types of lipoprotein are:

• high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – HDL picks up cholesterol in your blood and carries it away from the cells back to the liver. Once in the liver they are broken down and passed out as a waste product. Because HDL removes cholesterol from your blood it’s referred to as “good cholesterol”, and higher levels are better
• low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – LDL is known as “bad cholesterol” as high levels of LDL can cause your arteries to narrow as it builds up within the walls of blood vessels and passageways. This can result in a blood clot forming which could lead to a stroke or even heart attack. 

Fortunately the amount of cholesterol in blood can be easily measured through medical tests today. 

What causes high cholesterol?

Many factors can increase your chances of having heart problems or a stroke if you have high cholesterol. These include:

• inactivity or lack of exercise
• a high fat diet
• smoking
• a large waist circumference
• diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension)
• a family history of stroke or heart disease

Unfortunately high cholesterol can also be inherited (familial hypercholesterolaemia), which can cause  high cholesterol despite following the healthiest of diets.

High cholesterol and travel insurance

Having high cholesterol should not stop Australians from having a great holiday, particularly as insure4less specialises in providing affordable travel insurance for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions.

For your own peace of mind, you can relax in the knowledge that you have the protection of one of the World’s largest insurers and medical emergency teams to support you whilst overseas if you suddenly suffer from a high cholesterol related illness. These include heart attacks and strokes. We ask you to declare your high cholesterol when completing your online travel insurance (normally there is no extra to pay) and then when you receive your policy via email it will confirm in writing exactly what your cover is. You can then simply travel and relax.

Here’s just a few high cholesterol travel tips:

• When flying, put your high cholesterol medicines in your take on bag – making sure you pack a little extra to allow for delays. Make sure you take medication bottles labelled with your name and the prescription information.
• Select healthy options when eating out wherever possible and drink plenty of water.
• Pack some fibre supplements containing psyllium and oat fibre to add to a beverage once a day.
• Don’t forget to exercise on the plane (select an aisle seat if you can) and do plenty of walking after you have arrived.

Get a quote now!

Using the quote form on the top right hand side of this page.

Related page: Existing Medical Conditions