According to a new report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, sexual activity is unlikely to increase the risk of a heart attack for those who have heart disease.
In actuality, sexual activity is the kind of mild aerobic exercise that is recommended to reduce the risk of a heart attack or to improve recovery after experiencing one.
The study consisted of 536 heart disease patients between the ages of 30 and 70. Each patient was given a questionnaire to fill out. From that data, researchers analyzed the frequency of sexual activity during the 12 months before a heart attack occurred:
- 14.9% reported zero sexual activity during the timeframe
- 4.7% reported that sexual activity occurred less than once a month
- 25.4% reported that sexual activity occurred less than once a week
- 55% reported that sexual activity occurred one or more times a week
During the 10-year follow-up with participants, researchers discovered 100 heart disease-related incidents. Approximately 78% of participants reported that their last sexual activity had occurred more than 24 hours before their heart attack, and only 0.7% reported sexual activity within an hour before their heart attack.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Dietrich Rothenbacher, concludes: “It is important to reassure patients that they need not be worried and should resume their usual sexual activity.”
Sources for Today’s Article:
“Sex Does Not Increase Heart attack Risk,” American College of Cardiology, AlphaGalileo web site, September 17, 2015; http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=156429&CultureCode=en.
Vernon, J., “Sex ‘unlikely to raise heart attack risk’ for heart disease patients,” Medical News Today web site, September 22, 2015; http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/299725.php.