The Link Between Sex and Sudden Death: What You Need to Know
Sex has long been recognized for its many physical and psychological effects, including reducing high blood pressure, improving the immune system, and aiding better sleep. It promotes the release of oxytocin, often referred to as the love hormone, which plays a crucial role in building trust and bonding between individuals.
The Dark Side of Sexual Activity
Despite its numerous benefits, it is crucial to acknowledge that instances of individuals dying during or shortly after sexual activity exist. Fortunately, the occurrence is extremely rare, accounting for only 0.6 percent of all cases of sudden death.
Numerous factors contribute to these tragedies. The physical strain of sexual activity, the use of prescription drugs (such as those treating erectile dysfunction), or the abuse of illegal substances like cocaine, either individually or in combination, are often to blame.
The risk of sudden cardiac death generally increases as individuals age. A 33-year forensic postmortem study from Germany, analyzing 32,000 sudden death cases, revealed that 0.2 percent of these incidents occurred during intercourse. The majority of these deaths occurred in men, with the average age being 59, and the primary cause identified as a heart attack or myocardial infarction. Similar findings are reported in corresponding studies from the US, France, and South Korea.
Not Just a Concern for Middle-Aged Men
Recent research conducted at St George’s, University of London, unveils that this phenomenon is not solely confined to middle-aged men. The study, published in JAMA Cardiology, investigates sudden cardiac death in 6,847 cases referred to the center for cardiac pathology at St George’s between January 1994 and August 2020.
Shockingly, 0.2 percent of these cases involved incidents occurring during or within one hour of sexual activity. The average age of death was 38, and notably, 35 percent of the cases occurred in women, representing a higher proportion than seen in previous studies.
Interestingly, these deaths among younger adults did not primarily result from heart attacks commonly observed in older men. Instead, half of the cases (53 percent) were associated with a normally structured heart and were attributed to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS). The second leading cause was aortic dissection, which occurred in 12 percent of cases. Aortic dissection involves a tearing between the layers of the heart’s large artery, causing it to bulge and potentially rupture.
The remaining cases were linked to structural anomalies like cardiomyopathy, a condition that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently, and a rare group of genetic conditions known as channelopathies. In channelopathies, the malfunction of ion channels responsible for controlling the flow of sodium and potassium ions in and out of heart muscle cells disrupts the heart’s electrical current, leading to abnormal heart rhythms.
The study underscores the significance of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome and cardiomyopathies in sudden cardiac deaths among individuals below the age of 50. Young adults with these conditions should consult their cardiologists to understand the associated risks when it comes to sexual activity. However, it is vital to note that the low incidence of death recorded in these studies implies a very minimal risk, even for individuals with existing heart conditions.
Note: This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
An earlier version of this article was published in January 2022.
