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Q: I had a heart attack a few months ago. My doctor tells me I am fine now, but I worry about having sex again. Will the exertion lead to another heart attack?
A: Resuming intimate relations after a heart attack should be an integral part of your emotional recovery, for both men and women. Since you had doubts about the subject, you were wise to check with your physician. However, the general rule is that following a heart attack it’s OK to have sex once you can walk easily.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1996 found that the chance of having a heart attack during sexual relations is approximately 1 in 1 million, even for people who have already had a heart attack. The study also found that people who were more physically fit were even less likely to have a heart attack during intimate relations.
Jennifer H. Mieres, M.D., is director of nuclear cardiology and associate professor of clinical medicine at New York University. She’s also a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.
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