A study published in the September 2016 issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior looked at sexual behaviour in more than 2,000 men and women between the ages of 57 and 85 over a five-year period.
The researchers, from Michigan State University and the University of Chicago, found that while “more and better” sex has a positive effect on older women’s health, it can have a lethal effect on older men. The researchers looked at how partnered sex affects cardiovascular health and the risk of developing heart disease in both sexes.
To determine cardiovascular risk, the researchers looked at the usual markers: high blood pressure, elevated C-reactive protein (a chemical found in the blood that is associated with inflammation and heart disease), rapid heart rate, and other measurable cardiovascular conditions. They found that those men who reported frequent sex (once a week or more), and especially frequent sex that was very enjoyable, were at higher risk of having a heart attack or developing other cardiovascular problems five years later than men who were not sexually active. For women, however, frequent, enjoyable sex reduced the risk of developing high blood pressure.
The researchers suggest that the pressure and difficulties of sexual activity that men experience as they age may cause them to exert and exhaust themselves in ways that put excess stress on their cardiovascular system. An active, pleasurable sex life may have the opposite effect on women, however, and may be due, in part, to hormones released during sex that protect them from heart disease. Although more studies will have to be done to confirm and elucidate these findings, for now, it looks like sex is one area where “moderation in everything,” is indeed the best approach to life, at least for aging men, and that it may be prudent for older men to discuss the pros and cons of an active sex life with their doctors to help determine their individual risk.
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