by David Warmflash

Created on: December 07, 2009   Last Updated: December 10, 2009

According to studies, the rate of myocardial infarction triggered by sexual activity is lower than 1%. Often, patients are anxious about having sex following the operation or myocardial incident, for months or years. And yet, anxiety of having another heart attack and the possibility of sudden death is the prime reason why sexual activity decreases in men who have suffered a previous myocardial event. Why they should worry is understandable. Myocardial infarctions are extremely scary. So is coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG pronounced like the vegetable cabbage), as is angioplasty, the procedure in which coronary arteries are cleaned out and opened, often with the placement of a stent, to maintain patency of the arterial lumen.

While the shock of such an event may indeed change the way that one thinks, men and women alike should keep one thing in mind: the experience of myocardial infarction often becomes a warning light, leading the patient to lifestyle changes. Being told that one has coronary artery disease can to lifestyle changes. It leads people to better diets, weight loss. Most men -and women too- who have suffered from myocardial infarctions take small doses of aspirin to decrease clotting that clogs arteries. They go regularly to a cardiologist, and have various tests done, such as electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and stress tests, and have their blood chemistry checked frequently. Often they take cholesterol-lowering medication. They engage in regular exercise, which means that physiologically, they are capable of engaging in sex.

Still, even when given the green light by a physician, one should not engage in sex without limits. Yes, under normal circumstances, as far as the cardiovascular system goes, sexual activity is like a brisk walk. Under certain circumstances, however, it can be more like a sprint. In a study conducted by cardiologist Graham Jackson, approximately three quarters of deaths during sexual intercourse were found to have occurred in people having extra marital affairs, and particularly in men who were much older than their sexual partners.

Even with no imbalance in age, or other such stress, other factors can make sex dangerous. In particular, engaging in sex in a hot tub, or immediately after being in a hot tub, can change the physiological scenario significantly. Sitting in a hot tub opens blood vessels in the skin, diverting blood that otherwise could be nourishing the heart to the periphery of the body. Add a large meal

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