Looking for a new and novel way to convince your significant other that the two of you should be having more sex? We suggest you cite the findings from a recently published Taiwanese research study that suggests more frequent sex can lower the chances that you’ll develop cardiovascular disease.
Specifically, the study, published in the July 2017 issue of “The Journal of Sexual Medicine,” found a link between the frequency of sexual activity and blood levels of homocysteine. The latter is a high-sulfur amino acid that has long been associated with a higher risk of atherosclerosis and blood clots, both of which can lead to cardiovascular damage and heart disease.
Keys to a Healthy Lifestyle
Almost everybody recognizes that a healthy lifestyle is the ideal foundation for heart health and overall health as well. And the key pillars of a healthy lifestyle are a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. However, all too many folks these days succumb to the temptations of foods that are high in calories and fat but low in healthy nutrients. These same people over time cut back on physical activity to the point that their lifestyle becomes largely sedentary.
High serum levels of homocysteine are found most frequently in those who rely too heavily on fast foods and spend the bulk of their leisure time on the couch watching TV. If you fall into this growing segment of the population, the Taiwanese study indicates that you can undo some of this damage by having sex more frequently — at least twice a week but preferably even more often.
Study Covers More Than 2,250 Americans
The study, conducted by researchers affiliated with Taiwan’s National Defense Medical Center, looked at the medical histories of more than 2,250 American men and women between the ages of 20 and 59. These study participants, all of whom participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2005-2006, were selected because data on their blood levels of homocysteine was available.
As part of their participation in NHANES 2005-2006, study subjects were required to complete sexual behavior questionnaires, which allowed the Taiwanese researchers to study the association between the subjects’ frequency of sex and homocysteine levels.
Researchers noted that those men and women reporting infrequent sexual activity had higher homocysteine levels, putting them at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease that could manifest in the form of heart attack, angina, and stroke. While the link between sex frequency and homocysteine levels was observed in both men and women, the increase in homocysteine levels was more pronounced in men who had sex less frequently.
First Such Study of Its Kind
In publishing their study’s findings, researchers noted, “This is the first observational investigation stratified by sex to evaluate the correlation between sexual frequency and serum homocysteine levels.” They suggested that their findings be further explored in future studies focusing on the causal relationship between sex frequency and serum levels of homocysteine.
As previously noted, homocysteine is an amino acid that is high in sulfur content. Unlike many other amino acids that are derived from the foods you eat, homocysteine is a byproduct of the body’s transformation of the amino acid cysteine into another amino acid known as methionine. While homocysteine is converted into a benign product in most healthy individuals, for those less healthy it can build up, causing inflammation, which is at the heart of many physical ailments, including cardiovascular disease.
Some Nutrients Help Cut Homocysteine
Although levels of homocysteine were lower in those who had sex more frequently, not enough is known to conclude that frequent sexual activity actually reduces homocysteine levels. Increasing your dietary intake of foods rich in three key nutrients — folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 — can help to naturally lower serum homocysteine levels.
While it was not directly addressed in the recently published Taiwanese study, it should be noted that the resumption of sexual activity after a heart attack should only be undertaken after you get clearance to do so from your cardiologist or regular doctor. And even when you do get such clearance, you’d probably be best advised to take things slowly until you regain confidence about the safety of sex in the wake of a serious cardiovascular episode.
Your Doctor Knows Best
In cases of advanced heart disease, including congestive heart failure, your doctor may counsel against strenuous sexual activity or suggest that you refrain from sexual intercourse altogether, depending on the severity of your heart condition.
Although some of the specifics of the studies were different, the findings of the Taiwanese researchers were very much in line with the results of a study published in the January 15, 2010, issue of “The American Journal of Cardiology.”
The earlier study, conducted by a team of researchers from New England Research Institutes in Watertown, Massachusetts, looked at the association between sex frequency — or infrequency — as a predictor of future cardiovascular health.
2010 Study Covered Only Males
The 2010 study was confined to male subjects — 1,165 men with an average age somewhere in the 50s — who had no history of cardiovascular disease at the start of the study. They were all participants in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, which tracked their health for an average of 16 years from the time the study commenced. Of the 1,165 men recruited for the study, 213 had some degree of erectile dysfunction, which itself has been found to be a predictor of future cardiovascular disease.
Susan A. Hall, lead author of the research study, said she and her colleagues found that study participants who reported sexual activity once a month or less had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those who had sex twice a week or more.
Frequent Sex Cuts Risk 45%
Even after adjusting for such factors as age and ED status, the research team found that men who were sexually active once a month or less were 45 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who had sex two to three times a week. Based on their findings, the researchers suggested that screening for sexual activity might be helpful in better pinpointing a patient’s risk of developing heart disease.
Interviewed by WebMD.com, Hall said that she and her colleagues also looked at the capacity for sexual activity and the role of sexual desire as possible factors in determining the risk for heart disease. She also said that “men who are having regular [sexual] activity might be more likely to be in a supportive intimate relationship with a regular partner; this might improve health through stress reduction and social support.”
Take-Away Message
As to the takeaway message from her study, Hall said that men should realize that sexual health appears to be a fairly reliable indicator of heart health. Thus, those who are experiencing impotence, a lack of sexual desire, or other sexual difficulties should discuss these problems with their doctors promptly so that they can be resolved, opening the door to increased sexual activity and a lower risk of heart disease.
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