Key result
Sexual activity is equivalent to mild or moderate physical activity and is safe for most patients with stable cardiac symptoms and good functional capacity.
Why the study?
Is sexual activity safe in patients with cardiac diseases and how should sexual dysfunction be managed?
Is sexual activity safe in patients with cardiac diseases and how should sexual dysfunction be managed?
Patients with stable cardiac disease can safely engage in sexual activity, and sexual dysfunction can be effectively treated with appropriate medical therapy after comprehensive evaluation.
May support counseling on sexual safety in stable cardiac disease; leaves open prospective trials on dysfunction management.
In this article, we outline the latest guidelines published by the American Heart Association on sexual activity in patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure, structural heart diseases, arrhythmias, implanted pacemakers or cardioverter defibrillators, as well as on treatment options of sexual dysfunction. Sexual activities are similar to mild/moderate physical activity during a short period. Most patients are recommended to involve in sexual activity after prior comprehensive evaluation of physical condition. Those with stable cardiac symptoms and good functional capacity are at a low risk of adverse cardiovascular events, and others require treatment or stabilization before involving in sexual activity. Stress testing is useful in evaluating safety of sexual activity in patients with questionable or undetermined risk. Treatment of sexual dysfunction includes counseling of patients and their sexual partners, and drug treatment with phosphodiesterase inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil) which have been demonstrated to be safe and effective, in men, and with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (flibanserin) and local vaginal estrogen administration in women. In conclusion, in routine clinical practice, patients should be approached individually and multidisciplinarily in order to detect and eliminate the factors that interfere with normal sexual activities and disturb the quality of life.
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Marko Mornar Jelavić (2018) conducted a review in Cardiac diseases and sexual dysfunction. Sexual activity is equivalent to mild or moderate physical activity and is safe for most patients with stable cardiac symptoms and good functional capacity.
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