On the day a new report showing the death rate from heart attack has halved in last decade, we talk about the importance of getting the right travel insurance after a heart attack.

An Oxford University study, which looked at more than 800,000 men and women who suffered heart attacks between 2002 and 2010, has shown that the death rate from heart attacks in England has halved in the last 10 years.

The research showed that fewer heart attacks occurred in later years and fewer were fatal. Improvements have been put down to better NHS care after a heart attack and better prevention measures.

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation said “This impressive fall in death rates is due partly to prevention of heart attacks by better management of risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol and due partly to better treatment of heart attack patients when they reach hospital”.

If you’ve recently survived a heart attack a recuperation holiday could be just the thing you need, providing your doctor says it is safe for you to travel. If you are able to get away on holiday, make sure that you have appropriate travel insurance cover before you depart and declare that you have had a heart attack. In fact, regardless of whether your heart attack was a few months or a few years ago it should be declared when you buy travel insurance.

If you don’t declare that you have had a heart attack when you buy travel insurance you run the risk of incurring high medical bills if you fall ill abroad, because you won’t be covered for any medical treatment that is related back to your heart attack.

These days it is very easy to get travel insurance for heart attack, simply declare the heart attack and answer the multiple choice medical questions — you should be able to get instant travel insurance cover online or by phone, without the need for a doctor’s certificate.

Holidays are all about taking time out to relax. If you have suffered from a heart attack there’s no reason why you can’t travel — provided your doctor says that it is safe for you to do so.

Even if your heart attack was many years ago it can still pay to visit your doctor for a check-up before you travel to make sure that you are fit and healthy, particularly if you intend to fly. Your doctor may also be able to provide you with some tips to make your journey more comfortable.

Remember, if you have had a heart attack you need to declare it when you buy travel insurance.