Your spouse has had a heart attack. Does this mean your sex life is over? We bring you the bottom line on sex after a heart attack.
Hi, I’m Pilar Gerasimo with a Bottom Line Expert report on sex after a heart attack. I’m here with Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, the director of Women’s Heart Health at the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
Dr. Suzanne, so straight to the point, is it safe to have sex after you’ve had a heart attack?
The American Heart Association just came up with guidelines regarding this exact issue. If you can climb two flights of stairs after you’ve had a heart attack, then it’s actually safe to have sex. And the AHA continued to say that it is important for quality of life as well, so climb two flights of stairs, and if you can do it, then go at it.
And they even recommend it!
Exactly!
If sex is relatively safe after a heart attack, why do we see so many deaths on TV? What’s that all about?
Because it makes great television! But it’s actually more dangerous to go out and shovel snow, than it is to have sex, if you’re at risk for a heart attack.
And what about the differences in risk for men and women?
Men who have had a heart attack are oftentimes put on medications. They often have erectile dysfunction as well and take medications for that. Some of those medications do not go well together and can lead to cardiac problems. If you’re a man who wants to have sex and who has a heart condition, has been put on medication and also has erectile dysfunction, it’s really important to talk to your doctor about taking multiple medications. For women, it’s more subtle, and after a heart attack, again, do that stair test, and you’ll be fine.
The bottom line on sex after a heart attack is the two-flight rule—can you comfortably walk up a couple of flights of stairs without getting too winded? Then you’re probably OK. Men, though, should talk to their doctors, because those taking erectile dysfunction medications may be at significantly increased risk.
For more advice on a healthier life, go to BottomLineHealth.com.
Content
0.269 -> Your spouse has had a heart attack.
1.89 -> Does this mean your sex life is over?
4.04 -> We bring you the bottom line on sex after
a heart attack.
12.02 -> Hi, I'm Pilar Gerasimo with a Bottom Line
Expert report on sex after a heart attack.
22.39 -> I'm here with Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, the director
of Women's Heart Health at the Lenox Hill
27.07 -> Hospital in New York.
29.15 -> Dr. Suzanne, so straight to the point, is
it safe to have sex after you've had a heart
33.91 -> attack?
34.91 -> The American Heart Association just came up
with guidelines regarding this exact issue.
40.01 -> If you can climb two flights of stairs after
you've had a heart attack, then it's actually
45.84 -> safe to have sex.
47.67 -> And the AHA continued to say that it is important
for quality of life as well, so climb two
53.78 -> flights of stairs, and if you can do it, then
go at it.
57.079 -> And they even recommend it!
59.03 -> Exactly!
60.09 -> If sex is relatively safe after a heart attack,
why do we see so many deaths on TV?
65.39 -> What's that all about?
66.469 -> Because it makes great television!
68.759 -> But it's actually more dangerous to go out
and shovel snow, than it is to have sex, if
74.159 -> you're at risk for a heart attack.
76.27 -> And what about the differences in risk for
men and women?
79.009 -> Men who have had a heart attack are oftentimes
put on medications.
83.93 -> They often have erectile dysfunction as well
and take medications for that.
89.039 -> Some of those medications do not go well together
and can lead to cardiac problems.
96.7 -> If you're a man who wants to have sex and
who has a heart condition, has been put on
101.14 -> medication and also has erectile dysfunction,
it's really important to talk to your doctor
107.179 -> about taking multiple medications.
109.88 -> For women, it's more subtle, and after a heart
attack, again, do that stair test, and you'll
117.049 -> be fine.
124.509 -> The bottom line on sex after a heart attack
is the two-flight rule—can you comfortably
128.97 -> walk up a couple of flights of stairs without
getting too winded?
131.86 -> Then you're probably OK.
132.86 -> Men, though, should talk to their doctors,
because those taking erectile dysfunction
137.25 -> medications may be at significantly increased
risk.
140.7 -> For more advice on a healthier life, go to
BottomLineHealth.com.
