Sex good for older women's hearts, risky for men: study

Older men who had sex once or more a week were much more likely to experience cardiovascular events five years later than men who were sexually inactive.(AleksandarNakic/Istock.com)

Is sex in later years good for health? An extensive study from the U.S. evaluated the cardiovascular risks associated with regular sexual activity in 2,200 seniors aged between 57 and 85 years old over a 10-year period. Older men who had sex once or more a week were at greater risk of cardiovascular events, whereas women were at lower risk of hypertension and heart problems.

This new study challenges the idea that sexual activity can be beneficial at any age. In fact, sexual activity in later years, as well as the level of pleasure experienced by partners, may not have the same effects on heart health for men and for women.

Researchers followed the sexual activity of seniors aged from 57 to 85 over a 10-year period. Five years into the study, they evaluated the participants' cardiovascular risk by measuring hypertension, heart rate, C-reactive protein level and general cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, etc.)

They found that older men who had sex once or more a week were much more likely to experience cardiovascular events five years later than men who were sexually inactive. However, this risk was not seen among older women.

Even more surprisingly, the study found that the more pleasurable the men found sex, the more they were at risk of cardiovascular events. The exact opposite was found for older women. Women who found sex to be extremely pleasurable or satisfying had lower risk of hypertension five years later than female participants who did not feel that way.

"Because older men have more difficulties reaching orgasm for medical or emotional reasons than do their younger counterparts, they may exert themselves to a greater degree of exhaustion and create more stress on their cardiovascular system in order to achieve climax," explains Dr Hui Lui, the Michigan State University scholar who led the study.

The study also suggests that medication to improve sexual function could have a negative effect on the cardiovascular health of older men.

While women appear to benefit particularly from an active sex life in later years, this could be because they're more receptive than men to strong, deep and close relationships as an important source of social and emotional support, the scientists suggest. This "may reduce stress and promote psychological well-being and, in turn, cardiovascular health," they conclude.

The study is published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.