Great sex in the context of heart disease in older men, but not women

"Older men to have sex with his extremely pleasant and satisfactory partner found an increased risk of cardiovascular events than men ...

"Older men to have sex with his extremely pleasant and satisfactory partner found an increased risk of cardiovascular events than men had who do not," said Liu Hui-author of the study, associate professor of sociology professor at the University of Michigan ,

The study analyzed survey data on 2204 people in the National Social enrolled life, health and aging project in the United States. Men and women 57-85 years in the relations partner in your satisfaction, the frequency and the state of sexual health was asked later in 2005 and again 5 years. Cardiovascular each person was also determined by measuring the blood pressure, heart rate, elevated C-reactive protein and the history of heart attack, heart failure and stroke included.

Although the analysis showed great anal sex is risky in the survey, those who had sex one to three times per month, calling it less enjoyable not an increased risk of heart problems.

Your female partner, but the results are different. Women who said that they had extremely satisfactory sexual relations often had a lower risk of high blood pressure, a common precursor to heart disease.

Sex at best mediocre for heart health?

"These results provide the widespread assumption in question that sex brings advantages for all uniforms of health," said Liu. "I think it's important for seniors to understand the risks and potential benefits, sex."

"We need this data to be interpreted with grain of salt," said Dr. Kevin Campbell, a cardiologist at the University of North Carolina who specializes in cardiac arrhythmias. "It is in direct contrast to the significant clinical data that demonstrated age than men, if they continue to be sexually active their risk for cardiovascular disease, actually decreases.

"I tell my patients one month after a heart attack or open-heart surgery, they can go a staircase in the chest or difficulty breathing without pain," Campbell said, "then they are good for sexual activity to resume."

Surprising results for men

"The results were surprising for men," he said, that go against decades of research recognition a positive effect on the health of the male sexual behavior, including better prostate health.

One reason for the unusual results, he said, could be the design of the study. She said, able to increase while other research to focus on groups of young age, this survey was a nationally representative sample of elderly people in the United States.

"There is an investigation, not a gold standard, randomized controlled trial," Campbell said, but notes that the study was conducted in 2005, with follow in 2010. "Is it really relevant that almost all the world is a statin, our treatment of cardiovascular diseases was better, "he said.

Another reason for their results, he said, could be the use of dietary supplements for the treatment of erectile dysfunction by many older people have, or the voltage level created by the sexual act itself.

"Older people may have more difficulty having an orgasm for medical or psychological reasons have," God said. "Therefore, they can exert a higher degree of exhaustion and relatively more stress create on your cardiovascular system to reach a climax, which can damage the health."

That might be true, Campbell said that if the man of cardiovascular or unknown lock suffers when they used certain drugs for existing heart disease.

"If they take any form of nitroglycerin, a dramatic drop in blood pressure with both drugs can cause to treat erectile dysfunction," said Campbell. "This is to be monitored very closely."

Laura Berman sex and relationship educator agreed. "We have to be careful and understand the risk factors be" Berman, deputy clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, said. "If we talk about the sexual situation typical of most Baby Boomers, it is an exaggeration to do the job. It is not makes sense to me that perhaps more risk factors for a man to a woman."

He added: "So, men should be sure that they are physically able to have sex, and then try to pay attention and understanding of the risk factors."

Finally, he said, which has a high frequency of sex can cause problems show "sexual addiction, sexual assault or sexual impulsivity" for men, and could be set to "psychological states such as anxiety or depression in relationship that lead to adverse cardiovascular health can. "

"To say they want frequent sex after a certain age can be bad for you is about to take deposits", Logan Levkoff said certified sex educator. "Every time I get this kind of grandiose statements about sex and sexuality is problematic. There is no standard, how we experience intimacy."

A win-win for women

However, women have good news. "Good quality sex to protect women on the cardiovascular risk in adulthood," Lui said.

That makes sense, Berman said, to see the way women sex.

"It is not the number of orgasms or sexual experience energetic sexual satisfaction for women predict," Berman said. "It's how the person feel who have sex with other has kisses and caresses and orgasms. It is the key to their emotional and physical well ~~ POS = TRUNC, they use your health and your heart, and all other "take.

However, men are different.

"The way men feel emotionally closer to your partner through the physical act of sex," Berman said. "You have an emotional connection, but they will need in their minds not much and do not get as stressed out, anxious, depressed than women. They feel this way when they have not had sex, but do not see the loss of isolation."

He added: "If a man in a relationship is of any kind, you live longer, but if a woman in a bad relationship is that lives shorter."

The takeaway for older couples

So what is an elderly couple in terms of sex and the risk of heart disease to make?

"We have to weigh the cost-benefit analysis and the oldest from to progress because we are living longer, honest in our society and we must," Recommended Berman. "I still believe that for most older people, physical and emotional benefits outweigh the risk factors."

Campbell, a cardiologist, said: "These patients need to talk low about sex with their doctors regularly and at each visit, so that we can diagnose and address concerns before they escalate .."

Levkoff agreed.

"All of this brings us back to our inability or the ability to communicate about sex and pleasure and health," he said. "It is not surprising that the elderly may have some discomfort in the conversation, but the conversation Sex and Aging is one that should have had for years."