Sex Increases the Risk of Having a Heart Attack

Sudden bout of intense physical activity, like having sex, can increase the chances of heart attack

In a study which analyzed the data of fourteen previously conducted studies, Dr. Dahabreh and her colleagues came to the conclusion that in people not accustomed to regular exercise, sudden episodic spells of rigorous work out can up the risk of a heart attack during and for a short period after the exercise. The study aimed at finding a link between exercise, sex and risk of having a heart attack and found that individuals are 2.7 times more likely to suffer from a heart attack while having sex and for duration of 1 to 2 hours after it, as compared to those individuals who do not.

However the incidence of heart attack after sex is not alarming. There was an increase of 1 to 2 cases of heart attack per year in a group of 10,000 people indulging in sexual activity once a week. Moreover, the study focused on the risk of heart attack in an individual during a brief spell of physical activity and not on the overall risk that the individual has of a heat attack during other times of the day.

Focus on your heart health

Rather than getting disturbed by the findings of this study, one should focus on his heart health. As sexual activity triggers the risk of heart attack only for a transient duration, the absolute risk of suffering from a heart attack is very small and depends largely upon the condition of your heart. The chances of heart attack during sex, in a non diabetic, non smoker person is one in a million. According to “Determinants of Myocardial Infarction Onset Study”, the annual risk of myocardial infarction on weekly sexual activity, increases from 1 percent to just 1.01 percent, in a 50 years old individual with a healthy heart.

The key to decreasing the risk of a heart attack, after sex or otherwise, is regular exercise. The risk of heart attack after episodic physical activity can be reduced by as much as 45 percent by devoting extra time to exercise every week. Sudden bursts of intense physical activity, like climbing a flight of stairs can increase the risk of heart attack by 3.5 times. However, regular exercise improves the condition of your heart and reduces the overall risk of suffering from heart attack by 30 percent.

Read More: Using "Poppers" to Enhance Sexual Experience (or to Get High) May Cause Permanent Vision Loss

It is important not to get afraid by the results of the recent study and shy away from exercise. Remember that exercise, apart from a healthy diet, is the single most important step to improve the health of your heart. The key is to initiate an exercise program and increase its intensity gradually so that the heart becomes stronger and is not fatigued by a sudden bout of passionate workout.