Can Sexual Intercourse Cause Sudden Cardiac Death?

Sudden cardiac death in young individuals may be associated with sexual intercourse, as per a study published in the journal JAMA Cardiology. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) may occur in various circumstances, including physical exercise and sexual intercourse.

The study team reviewed 6,847 cases of sudden cardiac death in the United Kingdom to establish the relationship between cardiac conditions and sudden death during or immediately after sexual intercourse.

Detailed autopsy of all the SCD cases was done before referral, including a toxicological screening, to exclude noncardiac causes.

It was found that death during or within 1 hour after sexual intercourse occurred in 17 (0.2%) of total SCD cases with the mean age at death was being 38 (18) years. Autopsy suggestive of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome was found in 9 individuals (53%), followed by aortic dissection in 2 individuals (12%).

It was thereby stated that the catecholaminergic surge that accompanies this activity may be responsible for such cardiac conditions (cardiomyopathies and channelopathies) among younger individuals (aged <50 years).

However, the study also has some limitations as the SCD cases that survived sudden cardiac arrests were not included in the study, and the study was primarily focused on SCDs. This requires further validation of other causes of death.

Source-Eurekalert