Maintaining or increasing the frequency of sexual activity increases survival rates for heart attack patients, according to a new study.
(CNN) -
People who have had heart attacks can increase their chances of long-term survival by returning to normal levels of sexual activity, a new study shows.
Many people stop having sex after a heart attack because they think it could trigger another episode.
However, research published Wednesday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology says that sex is good for survival rates.
The researchers followed 495 couples for about 20 years.
They found that those who maintained or increased their frequency of sexual activity in the first six months after a heart attack had a 35% lower risk of death.
This compared to those who stopped having sex or reduced their frequency.
"Sexuality and sexual activity are markers of well-being," study author Professor Yariv Gerber of Tel Aviv University in Israel said in a press release.
“Resuming sexual activity shortly after a heart attack can be part of your perception of yourself as healthy, functional, young, and energetic.
This can lead to an overall healthier lifestyle, ”he explained.
Although sudden physical exertion, such as having sex, can trigger a heart attack, the long-term risk of heart problems is lowered with regular physical activity, the researchers said.
While isolated bouts of sexual activity have been shown to trigger heart problems in some cases, people who exercise regularly are at lower risk.
Resume sexual activity 'as soon as possible'
People who survived were less likely to die from diseases like cancer.
The 495 patients were 65 years of age or younger and were hospitalized for their first heart attack in 1993. Their average age was 53 years, and 90% of them were men.
The researchers found that after 22 years, 211 patients, or 43% of all participants, had died.
They then adjusted for factors such as obesity, physical activity, and socioeconomic status to determine the difference in risk of death between the two groups.
There they found that the survival benefit "could be attributed primarily to a reduction in non-cardiovascular mortality such as (from) cancer."
This means that the people in the group who died were primarily victims of conditions other than heart disease.
Gerber told CNN that people who can climb stairs, jog or walk 1 mile without difficulty can have sex again.
This is reminiscent of a famous scene from the movie "Something's Gotta Give."
There, Jack Nicholson, a heart attack patient, has to prove that he can climb a flight of stairs before he can have sex with Diane Keaton.
Patients should also resume sexual activity "as soon as possible," Gerber told CNN, "preferably a few days after discharge from the hospital."
However, the severity of the heart attack, as well as complications such as heart failure or atrial fibrillation, can affect the ideal time frame.
Individual patients should consult their doctors, Gerber added.
Sexual activity as a marker of recovery
This study did not examine the ideal frequency of sexual activity.
However, Gerber told CNN that her research group had previously shown that "even a low frequency of less than once a week was associated with better long-term survival compared to the total absence of sex."
Gerber said that sexual activity is a marker of better recovery.
This is due to "better physical condition, (and) stronger relationships with the spouse."
Also due to the "mental capacity to 'recover' from the initial shock of the event in a few months."
Those who believe they are in poor health may be less likely to resume sexual activity, Gerber added.
And they may also be less likely to attend cancer screenings or other medical checkups, she explained.
"This may explain the strong inverse association between resumption of sexual activity and cancer mortality that was seen in our study," he said.
Limitations of the study on heart attacks and sex
The study has some limitations.
Gerber noted that the relatively young age profile of the participants, as well as the small number of women involved, may limit the robustness of the findings for older patients and women.
He also stressed that the study does not assume that sexual activity is the only factor influencing survival rates.
"Numerous physical and psychosocial health parameters are required to maintain regular sexual activity," he said.
"In light of this, the net benefit of sexual activity itself is still a matter of debate," he added.
However, the results should show patients that they shouldn't be concerned about resuming sexual activity soon after a heart attack, Gerber concluded.
Heart attack Sex
