Rest easy, heart patients—sudden cardiac death rarely happens during sex
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) cases are very rarely associated with having sex among younger individuals, according to a new analysis published in JAMA Cardiology.
The study’s authors examined data from nearly 7,000 SCD cases referred to a single cardiac facility from January 1994 to August 2020.
“Before referral, all SCD cases underwent a detailed autopsy, including a toxicological screening, to exclude noncardiac causes,” wrote lead author Gherardo Finocchiaro, MD, PhD, of St. George’s University of London, and colleagues. “SCD was defined as death occurring within 12 hours of apparent well-being. Clinical information was obtained from referring coroners, who were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire.”
Overall, the team found that just 0.2% of SCD cases occurred during or within one hour of sex. The mean age at death was 38 years old, and 65% of patients who died were men.
Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome was the most common autopsy finding, the authors added, suggesting to the authors that primary electrical disease may be one thing to keep an eye on among this patient population.
“We believe these findings provide some reassurance that engaging in sexual activity is relatively safe in patients with a cardiac condition, especially in younger (aged <50 years) individuals,” the authors wrote.
Read the study here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.