Worried About Sudden And Deadly Heart Attack During Sex? This Is Doctor's Explanation

Illustration. (Unsplash/@womanizer)

JAKARTA - Sudden and deadly heart attacks are often feared by people with heart disease, when they want to do activities that drain energy, such as having sex.

People with heart disease often skip sex for fear of having a sudden heart attack. However, the results of new research may have the ability to allay those concerns.

Recently, a team of British researchers from St George's University of London may allay those concerns. Researchers studied the medical histories of nearly 7,000 Britons who died of sudden cardiac arrest during the period between 1994 and 2020.

Based on the data the team collected, the researchers found that of the number of reported deaths, sexual activity was responsible for only 0.2 percent of the figure.

An estimated 17 people died during, or up to an hour after sex, out of 7,000 cases. While the rest mostly died of various heart conditions.

Two thirds of the sick are men, with the main causes of death being cardiomyopathy and heart rhythm disorders. More than half of the people who die have no previously diagnosed heart condition.

The British researchers also noted that much of the cardiac pathology in the study could be explained by stress, smoking, drug consumption and other factors. However, when it comes to sex, research shows that people don't need to deprive themselves of pleasure for fear of their heart.

"We believe these findings provide some reassurance, that sexual activity is relatively safe in patients with heart conditions, especially in younger individuals (aged <50 years)," said the research report published in the journal 'JAMA Cardiology' as quoted by Sputnik News. January 13.

The researchers noted they could not figure out how many Britons had suffered a heart attack during sex and survived. This, in theory, makes the potential risk of heart attack during sex greater, but not high enough to justify refusing sex.