Sex and Heart Health
“Is sex “exercise,” and if so, is it hard on the heart?”
Dear I’m not getting older, I’m getting better,
Great question! Many men and women have this concern as they get older and begin to wonder if sex is too strenuous for the heart, especially if they have a heart condition. NOTE: Always ask your own doctor if you have any questions about your physical well-being and sexual activity.
Researchers evaluated the cardiovascular effects of sexual activity by monitoring participants’ heart rate and blood pressure while on a treadmill as well as during private sexual activity with their partner at home. They found that on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the most strenuous), the men evaluated treadmill activity as 4.6, while sex was only 2.7.
According to Harvard Health, “average sexual activity ranks as mild to moderate in terms of exercise intensity...If a man can walk up two or three flights of stairs without difficulty, he should be in shape for sex.” Other studies have shown that less than one in every 100 heart attacks is related to sexual activity, and for fatal heart attacks, the rate is even less--1 in 200. Furthermore, for men with heart disease there is a 10 in a million chance of having a heart attack during any given hour and that risk doubles during sex, but that is still only 20 in a million, or 0.00002%.
There are some areas to be cautious about, one of which is using ED pills such as Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, etc. ED is the body’s natural protection response for men with heart disease, so medications like Viagra override that defense mechanism. If your hypertension or heart disease are managed and well-controlled, the use of ED pills is considered safe. (Again, check with your personal doctor who is familiar with your heart health.) However, if you are taking nitrate medications of any kind, you should never use these supplements.
If you have had a heart attack, your doctor should perform an exam and stress test before you resume sexual activity. Never hesitate to ask your doctor whether it’s safe to have sex or how long you should wait. As a general guideline, if you have any of the following conditions, you should definitely wait to have sex:
Advanced heart failure
Severe valve disease
An ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) that has produced shocks
Uncontrolled arrhythmia
Unstable angina
Unstable or severe heart disease
To keep sex safe, make sure you are doing your best to stay healthy:
Exercise regularly and increase your physical activity
Eat a heart-healthy diet
Avoid smoking
Avoid too much alcohol
Manage risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes
In summary, sex with well-managed and controlled heart disease is generally considered safe and should not pose medical risks, but there are cases and conditions in which it may not be safe. You should always listen to your body and stop immediately if you begin experiencing cardiac symptoms.
Resources
Harvard Health: Is sex exercise? And is it hard on the heart?
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/is-sex-exercise-and-is-it-hard-on-the-heart
Harvard Health: Sex and your heart
https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/sex-and-your-heart
American Heart Association: Sex and Heart Disease
American Heart Association Journals: Sexual Activity and Cardiovascular Disease
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0b013e3182447787
American Stroke Association: Sex and Heart Disease--After Heart Attack