Sudden increases in moderate to vigorous physical activity, such as running or having sex, significantly increase the risk of heart attack, especially in people who do not exercise regularly, according to a study published in 2011 in the journal Journal of the American Medical Association.
Doctors have long known that physical activity can cause serious heart problems, but research helps quantify that risk, explained Dr. Issa Dahabreh of Tufts Medical Center in Boston. His team analyzed data from 14 studies examining the link between exercise, sex, and the risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac death, a deadly heart rhythm that causes blood to stop circulating.
The researchers found that people are 3.5 times more likely to have a heart attack or sudden cardiac death when they are exercising compared to when they are not. And they are 2.7 times more likely to have a heart attack when they have sex or immediately after, compared to when they do not. “These risks are elevated only for a short period of time (1 to 2 hours) during and after physical or sexual activity,” explains Jessica Paulus, a co-author of the study. And they can be minimized if the effort is made gradually. In addition, another of the results of the study indicated that people who have a higher level of habitual sexual activity had a lower risk of suffering these cardiovascular problems.
However, according to the Spanish Heart Foundation, in reality cases of death during sexual intercourse occur in a very low percentage. “In a study of 5,559 cases of sudden death due to non-traumatic causes, only 34 of them were due to cardiological reasons and occurred during intercourse. It should be noted that in 27 of these 34 relationships, the deceased person was performing the sexual act with a partner other than the usual one. Undoubtedly, “external” factors had a significant influence on the outcome (nervousness, increased excitement, feelings of guilt, need to look good, etc.) ”, they explain on their website.
Can you have sex after a heart attack?
And what happens if we have suffered a heart attack? Can we regain our sexual activity safely? According to the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC), the energy expenditure incurred while having sex is equivalent, more or less, to climbing two flights of stairs, and the effort that is made is considered rather moderate, so it would not be a risky activity.
In any case, it is necessary to carry out adequate physical and psychological preparation before resuming daily activities. With regard to sex, many times there are factors such as anxiety or fear of having another attack that make relationships difficult , so psychological work is necessary. Learning to relax through breathing techniques can be a good way to overcome these fears.
