Intimate relationships and sexual function in partnered patients in the year before and one year after a myocardial infarction: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Partnered first-time MI patients continue to be sexually active the year after the event, and are highly satisfied with their intimate relationship. While the MI event seems to have a more negative impact on men's sexual functioning than women's, the women still rate their sexual function lower in comparison.

Investigating sexual problems, psychological distress and quality of life in female patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: A prospective case–control study

“…6 Sexual activity has long been recognized as an important component of people's health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which is also true for individuals suffering from cardiovascular disease (CVD). 7,8 Decreased sexual activity and functioning are common in patients with CVD 9 and are often interrelated with anxiety and depression, [10][11][12][13][14] but seem to express themselves differently in men and women. [15][16][17] According to previous studies involving patients with CVD, women suffer more frequently from impaired sexual functioning and its direct effects compared with men.…”

Sexual Experiences of Patients with Acute Onset of Coronary Artery Disease in Korea

“…This theme only emerged with female participants, suggesting that female patients did not prioritize sex problems after the shock of the CAD diagnosis. Past studies have reported a higher reduction of sex needs and sex drive among female CAD patients compared with their male counterparts (Kazemi-Saleh et al, 2008;Thylén & Brännström, 2015). It was also reported that married women in Korea were less sexually active compared with their foreign counterparts (Kim, 2015), suggesting the need to consider sociocultural influences and disease-and gender-specific associations for understanding the sex lives of female CAD patients.…”

“…Sexual problems comprise some of the major health issues in the recovery of patients with chronic disability and/or severe disease, including heart disease (Bdair & Abushaikha, 2018). Coronary artery disease (CAD) is associated with the highest among severe diseases incidence of sexual dysfunction (Thylén & Brännström, 2015). CAD and its treatments can change blood circulation and reduce the amount of blood supplied by the heart to the rest of the body, including the reproductive organs, and may cause erectile dysfunction and hinder the resumption of a satisfactory sex life (Levine et al, 2012).…”

“…Research on this topic conducted outside Korea has been mostly quantitative, measuring the frequency of sex, sexual desire, and sex-related knowledge (Bdair & Abushaikha, 2018;Kałka et al, 2017;Thylén & Brännström, 2015). Multiple cardiovascular medications have been found to induce erectile dysfunction, lower sexual desire, and cause deterioration of sexual functionality (Steinke et al, 2015).…”

Sexual activity beneficial to cardiac patients

“…1 Another recent paper in EJCN reported that 80% of 128 MI patients were sexually active in the first year after MI and most of these patients were satisfied with their intimate relationship. 2 Other studies have reported high levels of both male and female sexual dysfunction following MI or other cardiac events. One study reported significant erectile dysfunction in 186 of 401 men (48.6% – average age of men was 53 years) with angiographically documented coronary heart disease.…”