High Blood Pressure and Sex
The Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao urged his fellow citizens in April 2010 to have more sex, as it is an important form of exercise. This is intended to prevent chronic diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol levels.
According to expert recommendations, high blood pressure patients should also ask about sex during their doctor visits. The feared heart attack during sex is estimated to occur very rarely (under 1 percent). The German Medical Journal provides extensive coverage on this topic:
According to the report, the physical exertion during sex for people whose hypertension - possibly with medications - is well controlled, is not considered dangerous. In case of doubt, a cardiovascular stress test should be performed.
A recent study published in the journal Biological Psychology has shown that regular sex can even lower blood pressure. Participants who reported having a fulfilling sex life showed lower blood pressure values under stress than less or not sexually active participants in the study. Another difference emerged when breaking down the data by sex with a partner or masturbation. Accordingly, sex with a partner lowers blood pressure better than self-stimulation.
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction caused by the condition of high blood pressure occurs frequently in hypertensive individuals. The medication is often blamed for this. However, recent findings have led researchers to be confident that most high blood pressure medications do not pose a risk to male potency. Rather, the overall health condition is responsible for declining male strength. Many high blood pressure patients also suffer from additional issues such as elevated blood lipid levels, diabetes, and/or obesity. In these cases, erectile dysfunction should be understood as a component of metabolic syndrome. In the HOPE-3 study, there was no increased occurrence of erectile dysfunction under high blood pressure medication or cholesterol-lowering medications compared to the control group taking a placebo. Unfortunately, the occurrence of the condition could not be prevented by lowering blood lipid and blood pressure levels with medication.
In this case, however, doctors can prescribe medications for erectile dysfunction (PDE-5 inhibitors, Viagra) to men. They are usually easy to take. An exception is the simultaneous intake of nitrates. The two medications are contraindicated because a combination of the preparations could lead to serious incidents. Some other cardiovascular diseases also exclude the use of Viagra or PDE-5 inhibitors.
Sources
- http://www.medizinfo.de/urologie/erektile_dysfunktion/pde5-hemmer.shtml
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051105000736#
- http://drwerner.webseiten.cc/fileadmin/Dokumente/PDF-Dokumente/HOPE3.pdf
- https://www.aerztezeitung.de/medizin/krankheiten/herzkreislauf/herzinsuffizienz/article/802808/neun-sextipps-herzkranke.html
By Sabine Croci.
This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (04/2024).
Information on the website and within the app cannot replace a consultation with a doctor, but can certainly complement it.
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