For older couples who enjoy an active love life, there’s some good news... and some bad news.
Experts in the US have found that frequent – and satisfying – sex significantly reduced the risk of heart problems for women in later life.
But men from the same age group who had sex once a week or more actually doubled their heart risk compared to those who were sexually inactive.
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In the first large-scale study of how sex affects elderly hearts, women over the age of 57 were half as likely to develop high blood pressure – a major cause of heart attacks and strokes – if they still had frequent, satisfying sex.
The scientists, from Michigan State University, found that women who said they had ‘extremely physically pleasurable’ sex were 47 per cent less likely to develop high blood pressure within five years.
The rush of beneficial hormones and the emotional boost of being in a loving relationship are thought to be behind the boost to women’s health.
Meanwhile men were almost twice as likely to suffer a ‘cardiovascular event’, such as heart attacks and angina, if they had sex at least once a week.
The damage to their health could be because older men suffer more sexual problems and then put themselves under more strain if they try to make love, the researchers said.
The team interviewed 2,200 people aged between 57 and 85 about their sexual activity and then tracked their health over five years.
Study leader Dr Hui Liu, an associate professor of sociology at the university, said: ‘These findings challenge the widely held assumption that sex brings uniform health benefits to everyone. For women, we have good news – good sexual quality may protect older women from cardiovascular risk in later life.’
Dr Liu, whose work is published in the journal Sexual Behaviours and Social Relationships, explained that being in a strong, close relationship is an important source of social and emotional support, which may reduce stress and promote psychological well-being and, in turn, cardiovascular health.
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But she said: ‘This may be more relevant to women than to men, because men in all relationships, regardless of quality, are more likely to receive support from their partner than are women. However, only women in good quality relationships may acquire such benefits from their partner.’
Dr Liu went on: ‘Strikingly, we find that having sex once a week or more puts older men at a risk for experiencing cardiovascular events that is almost two times greater than older men who are sexually inactive.
‘Moreover, older men who found sex with their partner extremely pleasurable or satisfying had higher risk of cardiovascular events than men who did not feel so.’
She said the findings suggest the strain from a sexual relationship may be more relevant for men as they get older, become increasingly frail and suffer more sexual problems.
‘Because older men have more difficulties reaching orgasm for medical or emotional reasons than do their younger counterparts, they may exert themselves to a greater degree of exhaustion and create more stress on their cardiovascular system in order to achieve climax,’ she said.
Dr Liu also suggested testosterone levels and the use of Viagra and other medications to improve sexual function may also play a role, saying: ‘Although scientific evidence is still rare, it is likely such sexual medication or supplements have negative effects on older men’s cardiovascular health.’
While moderate amounts of sex may promote health among older men, Dr Liu added that doctors ‘should talk to older male patients about potential risks of high levels of sexual activity and perhaps screen those who frequently have sex for cardiovascular issues’.
Daily Mail