Key result
Following cardiac rehabilitation, 47% of patients reported no sexual relations in the past year, and higher anxiety and male sex were associated with reporting a sexual problem (p<0.001).
Cross-Sectional (n=382)
Yes
p-value: p=<0.001
Sexual inactivity and dysfunction are highly prevalent among patients following cardiac rehabilitation, highlighting a significant unmet need for healthcare professionals to address sexual health and psychological wellbeing.
High prevalence signals unmet need for sexual health assessment post-rehabilitation; supports anxiety screening in men but remains hypothesis-generating.
BACKGROUND: Sexual problems are common among cardiac patients. Further information is required on patients' experiences of sexuality and preferences for sexual counselling. AIM: To characterise sexual dysfunction and related factors among patients following cardiac rehabilitation and examine related treatment delivery. METHODS: Telephone interviews with 382 patients (32% response rate) recruited from six hospital rehabilitation centres. RESULTS: Seventy-nine per cent were male; average age was 64 years (SD 9.8). Forty-seven per cent of the total sample reported no sexual relations in the previous year, and nearly a half of sexually active respondents reported at least one sexual problem. Erectile dysfunction (reported by 33%) and lack of interest in sex (reported by 10%) were the most common problems for men and women respectively. Twenty-three per cent reported that sex had deteriorated for them since their cardiac event, and for half of these this was considered a serious problem. In logistic regression analysis, higher anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and being male were associated with reporting a sexual problem (χ(2) = 37.85, p<0.001). Sixty-six per cent reported that sex was never discussed by a health professional and satisfaction with this aspect of care was low. Patients wanted these issues to be addressed and the majority (63%) claimed they would find it easy to discuss sexual problems with a health professional. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual inactivity and sexual problems are common in this group. Health professionals should address sexual issues with their patients, ideally in a private setting and within the broader context of addressing psychological wellbeing.
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Byrne et al. (2013) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiac patients following cardiac rehabilitation (n=382). Cardiac event and rehabilitation was evaluated on Reporting a sexual problem (p=<0.001). Following cardiac rehabilitation, 47% of patients reported no sexual relations in the past year, and higher anxiety and male sex were associated with reporting a sexual problem (p<0.001).
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