A cardiologist discusses how sex really relates to heart health

How sex is really related to heart health and why heart disease is not a reason to give up intimate life, we spoke more extensively with cardiologist Paul Trinkauskas, a physician at the Center for Medical Diagnosis and Treatment.

Sex is like a physical activity

Sex is the highest form of intimacy between people, the media reported. They are important in many aspects of human health, both physical and psychological-emotional. According to a cardiologist, sex can also be considered a form of physical activity, and physical activity is known to be one of the key factors in preventing cardiovascular disease. True, according to him, even living an active sex life, one should not overestimate its importance and not forget about other forms of physical activity.

“Physical activity benefits the whole body, as well as the cardiovascular health system. Moderate exercise reduces the risk of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and stroke. It reduces the probability of visceral obesity, that is, central. When we talk about a central event, we are not referring to the peripheral layer of fat that we feel on the surface of the body, under the skin, but to the fat that forms in the abdominal cavity. This type of obesity is extremely harmful, it significantly increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and, therefore, the risk of heart attack and stroke ”, says cardiologist P. Trinkauskas.

According to the cardiologist, thinking about physical activity, we still imagine that it is necessary to go to a gym or have special sports equipment. In fact, according to the doctor, no special exercise equipment is required to maintain adequate physical activity.

“It’s great if you have an elliptical or stationary bike at home, but it’s actually enough to walk outside at a moderate pace for at least half an hour a day, that is, faster than usual, and you feel pleasant fatigue afterwards What a hike, “says Dr. Trinkauskas. – The bad thing is that many of us are very busy these days and we do not always find time to walk. But we can add more movement to our daily activities, like going to the store and going faster and faster instead of going to the store. “

Sex life is helpful in managing stress

Scientific studies have shown that sex helps reduce psycho-emotional tension, relax, reduce stress. Long-term stress is also known to be one of the risk factors for an increase in cardiovascular disease.

“When we talk about the impact of stress on the development of atherosclerosis, the increased risk of heart attack and stroke, we mean long-term chronic stress. Short-term episodic stress occurs in everyone’s life and can even be beneficial at certain times. This stress helps the body mobilize and overcome an important task, such as passing an exam or making an important business deal, and it usually resolves after the stressful situation is over. However, long-term psycho-emotional tension, when a person constantly feels emotional tension, frustration, it is as if they are cornered and cannot find a way out of certain life situations, it is detrimental to health. Long-term stress causes and maintains chronic inflammatory processes in the body, which also damage the blood vessels. Research has shown that people with various autoimmune diseases, that is, chronic inflammation, are more prone to coronary heart disease, ”says the cardiologist.

According to P. Trinkauskas, chronic inflammatory processes negatively affect the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium. This creates favorable conditions for the development of atherosclerosis in it. In addition, there is evidence that long-term stress increases the levels of low-density cholesterol, that is, the levels of bad cholesterol and does not increase the levels of high-density cholesterol, the so-called good cholesterol, leading to the development of dyslipidemia, which contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. Of course, it is atherosclerosis, a chronic disease of the arteries, where the formation of atherosclerotic plaques narrows their lumen, is one of the main causes of heart attack and stroke.

“There is scientific evidence that chronic stress increases the risk of cardiovascular disease as much as smoking. And if we add stress and smoking, we can talk about the cumulative effect and the risk even higher, ”says the cardiologist.

Cardiovascular disease is no reason to give up sex

Cardiologist P. Trinkauskas warns that at work he sometimes has to deal with male patients, mostly middle-aged, who fear resuming sexual life after a myocardial infarction, because the physical burden they experience can be dangerous for their Health.

“However, long-term sexual disorders can cause emotional disturbances (depression, episodes of anxiety) for many people, worsening rates of satisfaction with life and interpersonal relationships. In fact, according to various observations, myocardial infarction occurs a little more often during intercourse than at rest, but in studies only a little less than 1%. Myocardial infarction has been associated with sexual activity. As shown in the movies, sudden death during sexual intercourse occurs only in 0.6-1.7 percent. cases. Interestingly, more often during extramarital affairs. Furthermore, it has been observed that myocardial infarction occurs significantly less frequently in physically active people in the context of sexual activity than in passive people ”, says cardiologist P. Trinkauskas.

During sexual intercourse, people often experience mild to moderate physical exertion. By comparison, a person who can climb the stairs to the second floor without stopping twice without experiencing symptoms can probably also make love safely. The risk of such a patient experiencing adverse events during sexual intercourse is considered low.

“In general, I can only encourage patients with various cardiovascular diseases not to be afraid to live an intimate life. Sex life, even after a heart attack, is safe. It is true that it is important to bear in mind that to enjoy sex, the patient must not have uncontrollable symptoms: shortness of breath during rest and minimal physical effort, nor uncontrolled angina (pressure, burning, suffocation behind the sternum). These patients should be evaluated by a cardiologist at least once every 12 months, ”says Dr. P. Trinkauskas.

Sex drive can also be affected by medications used to control blood pressure.

It is true that the doctor warns that some drugs used to regulate blood pressure can affect a man’s libido or a woman’s response to adequate stimulation. There are cases where patients experience a decrease in libido when taking antihypertensive medications. These cases are quite rare, according to scientific articles, ranging from 3 to 5 percent. It is true, and in such cases a solution can always be found.

“Always inform your doctor about the side effects of the medications you are taking, even when the medications are affecting your sex life. In some cases, the body simply needs time to get used to the change in blood pressure, in other cases it is enough to prescribe another drug, sometimes with additional drugs that improve potency. As in all cases, it is important not to self-medicate: do not change the dose of the drug on your own, without the knowledge of the doctor, do not experiment with unknown “natural” drugs, some of which improve sexuality. wake up and stimulate blood pressure, strongly increase heart rate. This can only cause even more damage, ”says cardiologist P. Trinkauskas.