Published on January 20th, 2012 | by Kim LaCapria
0Don’t Be Afraid of Sex, Heart Patients! [Study]
You’re probably familiar with the old cliche of a man burning the candle at both ends, only to drop dead in the… arms of his mistress, a moral tale that probably has led many to believe shagging and heart conditions don’t mix.
However, earlier this week, the American Heart Association released some guidelines regarding heart conditions and getting it on, and it appears that with a few minor precautions, you can have a healthy and active sex life in the presence of many of the considerations or after a cardiovascular event. Multiple studies suggest that only 1% of heart attacks occur during sex in the US, a small fraction to begin with, but many patients and their sexual partners worry about provoking a heart attack through sexual stimulation.
Basically, docs say, if you are cleared for physical activity, sex is fine too. Three of the considerations cited by the AHA in the study? Low tolerance for physical exertion (i.e., getting winded when climbing a flight of stairs), mixing erectile dysfunction drugs and nitrates, and having a mistress. Cardiologist Dr. Elyse Foster co-authored the new guidelines, and she says:
“You can imagine an extramarital affair might raise your blood pressure. You’re probably going to have a higher heart rate and greater exertion during a sexual encounter with someone who isn’t your wife.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, the new research focused heavily on straight men in their 40s through 60s- cardiologists would like to study women and gay men as well to add to the data.