Medical questions for high cholesterol

Alfie_J

Been trying to get some quotes for travel insurance. I have high cholesterol and take small dose statins for this condition. However, the last question asked is 'Have you been advised to take medication for high blood PRESSURE' (my caps).
I don't have high blood pressure, I only take statins to lower the cholesterol, so why is this question being asked instead of asking if I'm taking statins?

eskbanker

Alfie_J said:

the last question asked is 'Have you been advised to take medication for high blood PRESSURE'

That wording is unhelpfully ambiguous!

If it's interpreted as "Have you been advised to take medication for [you having] high blood PRESSURE" then your answer is 'no'.

If it's interpreted as "Have you been advised to take medication [often prescribed to others] for high blood PRESSURE" then your answer is 'yes'.

Seems like one to clarify with the insurer concerned....

Flugelhorn

Statins are not given for high blood pressure

This is looking for increased risks - someone who has raised cholesterol and high 
BP is probably more at risk of claiming on insurance than someone who is just taking statins

daveyjp

Its a lead in question to cover what are often linked conditions.  

eDicky

Alfie_J said:

so why is this question being asked instead of asking if I'm taking statins?

Yours not to reason why,

To answer 'no" is not a lie.

akh43

I am wondering the same thing, just put on low dose statins due to a mixture of cholesterol (was 5.8, now 3.7) age (64) and weight (13.7lbs) increasing risks, but when I am looking to get travel insurance they seem to think you only have high cholesterol and are at risk of heart attacks and not other factors. My blood pressure is fine, always has been. I am not used to having to declare anything.

SiliconChip

Statins have nothing to do with BP, I take them for cholesterol reduction and other medication for BP control. Just answer the question that they ask, which is 'no'.

Alfie_J

eskbanker said:

Seems like one to clarify with the insurer concerned....

It's not just one insurer, all the travel insurance comparison sites use the same set of questions for high cholesterol.
Thanks to everyone who replied. I will just answer 'no' to the BP question. Still surprised that the insurer doesn't want to know if you are taking statins to bring the cholesterol levels down.

Flugelhorn

Alfie_J said:

eskbanker said:

Seems like one to clarify with the insurer concerned....

It's not just one insurer, all the travel insurance comparison sites use the same set of questions for high cholesterol.
Thanks to everyone who replied. I will just answer 'no' to the BP question. Still surprised that the insurer doesn't want to know if you are taking statins to bring the cholesterol levels down.

they probably see the risk as the cholesterol whether you take medication for it or not 

katejo

Flugelhorn said:

Alfie_J said:

eskbanker said:

Seems like one to clarify with the insurer concerned....

It's not just one insurer, all the travel insurance comparison sites use the same set of questions for high cholesterol.
Thanks to everyone who replied. I will just answer 'no' to the BP question. Still surprised that the insurer doesn't want to know if you are taking statins to bring the cholesterol levels down.

they probably see the risk as the cholesterol whether you take medication for it or not 

I agree about the taking of statins. I also have high cholesterol and take statins. I almost answered yes to the high blood pressure question by mistake because I expected it to be about statins.

DullGreyGuy

Alfie_J said:

Been trying to get some quotes for travel insurance. I have high cholesterol and take small dose statins for this condition. However, the last question asked is 'Have you been advised to take medication for high blood PRESSURE' (my caps).
I don't have high blood pressure, I only take statins to lower the cholesterol, so why is this question being asked instead of asking if I'm taking statins?

They're asking it because high blood pressure and high cholesterol to together is worse than having either individually and nothing to do with the statins. For many conditions after they ask the details directly relevant to that one they will go on to ask if you suffer from other linked or compounding conditions.

Certainly with some conditions they lead on to others and it then gets more complex to know what to declare so you may initially be diagnosed as insulin resistant and later told you have type II diabetes and so do you still have to declare the insulin resistance or just the diabetes? The former is the proximal cause of the other. To avoid these conundrums and if the insurer really wants to know and not rely on your judgement then they'll ask.