Sexual Activity and Heart Attack

James E. Muller, Murray A. Mittleman, Malcolm Maclure Jane B. Sherwood, Geoffrey H. Tofler JAMA 1996;275:1405-1409

How exciting is your sex life? For some, apparently, it's too exciting!

Researchers reported that sexual activity more than doubles the risk of heart attack (RR = 2.5, 95% C.I. = 1.7, 3.7). Of course, you should be comforted by the fact that the absolute risk of heart attack is one in a million per hour. So sexual activity only increases this risk to about two in a million per hour. Per hour?!

According to the researchers, this study does have limitations.

No data were collected on heart attack risk during sexual Intercourse with someone other than your usual partner. Will further research on this topic will be funded by the Nelson Rockefeller Foundation?

No data were collected on the heart attack risk associated with different sexual activities and positions. Look for Indian epidemiologists to do a follow-up analysis based on the Kama Sutra.

Of course the real problem with this study is that it was paid for by the federal government. Our public health must be in really awesome shape if post-sex heart attack is a government priority. Oh well,...screwed again... uh-oh,... better call 911!

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Copyright © 1996 Steven J. Milloy. All rights reserved. Site developed and hosted by WestLake Solutions, Inc.