Is sex safe if you have heart disease

A diagnosis of cardiovascular disease can bring out certain concerns and fears that normally we don’t question.  One concern can be “is it okay to have sex?”  Since sexual activity is an important quality of life issue for both men and women, it is a legitimate question to ask of your doctor.

The reassuring answer to this appears to be that sexual activity is safe for most people and is rarely the cause of a heart attack once the cardiovascular disease has been stabilized.  The key is to always consult with your doctor first for their blessing to do so. 

A 2015 research letter published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology outlined how a study looked at 536 heart disease patients between the ages of 30 and 70 evaluating their sexual activity.  They analyzed in the 12 months before a heart attack and then estimated the association of frequency of sexual activity and the timing of a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death.

The researchers examined self-reported questionnaires of the timing of the last sexual activity before a heart attack. What was found was only 0.7 percent reported having sex within an hour before their heart attack in comparison to more than 78 percent stating that their last sexual activity had occurred more than 24 hours before the heart attack.

The conclusion from the study was that sexual activity did not appear to be a trigger for a heart attack.  This is important information for any person with cardiovascular disease as mant men and women may not be getting information from their doctors on whether sexual activity is okay or not. 

Anyone who has ever had a heart attack, chest pain or stroke may postpone engaging in sex due to safety concerns.  These concerns need to be addressed with their doctor as each patient will have their own individual factors that need to be evaluated by the healthcare team.  If the patient has unstable cardiovascular disease or if symptoms are severe, they need to be treated and stabilized before they have sex to be on the safe side. 

The American Heart Association has made recommendations on what anyone with cardiovascular disease need to know then it comes to sex:

·         Always ask your doctor after you’ve been evaluated if it is okay to resume sex.

·         It is important after having had a heart attack or heart failure to be assessed through cardiac rehabilitation and achieving regular physical activity to help reduce any complications related to sexual activity.

·         Women of childbearing age who are thinking of starting birth control or getting pregnant need to discuss this with their doctor.

·         Any sexual dysfunction needs to be addressed with your doctor to see if it’s related to cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety, or other factors.

·         All medications for your cardiovascular disease need to be taken regulary.

·         For men experiencing erectile dysfunction, they need to receive clearance from their doctor on taking medication for this.  Men receiving nitrate therapy for chest pains due to coronary artery disease should not be taking medications for erectile dysfunction.

·         Postmenopausal women can usually use estrogen that’s topically or vaginally inserted for the treatment of painful intercourse.