People who have had a heart attack are much more likely to continue with their sex life if a doctor gives them advice about it before they leave hospital, researchers say. But many people don't get advice, and women are much less likely to be advised about resuming sexual activity than men.

What do we know already?

People who have had a heart attack need help and support to recover from the shock and resume normal life. Sex is a part of that, and resuming sexual activity is perfectly safe for most people. However, many people worry that the excitement or exertion of sex could put a strain on their heart. That's why it's helpful to have advice from a doctor about whether it's likely to cause problems, and what you should do if you get symptoms like chest pain during or after sex.

There hasn't been much research on the advice people get, or how likely they are to resume their sex life after leaving hospital. This new study interviewed 1,760 people one month, and again at one year, after their heart attack.

What does the new study say?

Men were much more likely to have received advice about sex before they left hospital, with 46 percent saying they'd had a discussion with a doctor about it, compared with 35 percent of women. Men were also more likely to have had some type of sexual activity in the year following their heart attack. The researchers found 68 percent of men, compared with 41 percent of women, resumed their sex lives.

Some of the discrepancy could be explained by factors such as the women in the study were more likely to be older or unmarried, or were in worse general health. But, allowing for these factors, the researchers found that both men and women who hadn't received advice about sex before leaving hospital were 30 percent to 40 percent more likely to have either stopped having sex, or to have had much less sex than before their heart attack.

How reliable are the findings?

It's not always easy to get accurate information from people about their sex lives, as people may be embarrassed or feel awkward when talking to researchers. The researchers say the findings are preliminary information and more study is needed. Some of the differences between the groups could be that the people who were most concerned about resuming their sex life, or who had a more active sex life before their heart attack, were more likely to ask a doctor about it.

The study hasn't been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Instead, the researchers presented the results to a medical conference. This means we've not been able to look at the full data and methods of the study, which makes it hard to be sure how reliable it is.

Where does the study come from?

The study was done by researchers at the University of Chicago in the US. It was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

What should I do now?

If you've had a heart attack and you're wondering whether it's safe to resume your sex life, talk to your doctor. There's no need to be embarrassed as the doctor will be familiar with answering these types of questions.

It's perfectly safe for most people to have sex within a couple of weeks after a heart attack, but talking to your doctor may help set your mind at rest and prepare you in case you experience any symptoms such as chest pains. There's no need to stop being sexually active because of heart problems.

From:

Lindau S, Gosch K, Abramsohn E, et al. Gender differences in loss of sexual activity 1 year after an acute myocardial infarction. Presented at the American Heart Association's 11th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke, Washington DC, USA, 21 May 2010. 

© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2010