No reason to avoid having sex after a heart attack

No reason to avoid having sex after a heart attack 

A new survey found that only half of men and a third of women reported that their doctors gave them advice on sexual activity after a heart attack and sexual activity prior to their hospital discharge. 

Many heart attack survivors, particulalry those who did not have the "sex talk" with their cardiologist, resfrain from having sex after cardiac arrest, even though most patients can resume having sex weeks after treatment if they feel up to it (Talk to your doctor about this). 

The survey, whic was conducted by Stacy Tessler Lindau, MD and colleagues from the University of Chicago; her review was reported this week in Washington DC at an American Heart Association meeting. 

Murray A. Mittleman, MD of Harvard Medical School was cited media reports as saying that many patients fear that sex will boost their risk for another heart attack; but in actuality, the risk is negligible. 

A report by Webmd says sex does not raise risk in heart attack survivors who exercise regularly, although sex may increase the risk for heart attack for two in one million in the general population and 20 in one million of those who had heart disease. 

Dr. Mittleman continued by saying that exercise is very important for heart attack survivors. "Exercise virtually eliminates the risk of having a heart attack associated with sexual activity." 

Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent all-cause mortality and cardovascular events 

A new trial suggests that supplements of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may reduce risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks. 

The trial, published in the April 10, 2010 issue of European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation showed that supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was associated with a 43 percent reduced risk of death from all causes and a 16 percent reduced risk of cardiovascular events. 

Einvik G and colleagues from Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog and Oslo University Hospital Ullevål in Oslo, Norway found the associations after they followed 563 Norwegian men aged 64 to 76 years for three years.  Seventy-two percent of the participants were apparently free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. During the trial period, one group of subjects were assigned diet counseling, along with 2.4 gram per day of n-3 PUFA supplementation and another group diet counseling, along with 2.4 grams of corn oil. 

After considering baseline age, smoking status, hpertension, body mass index and serum glucose, n3-PUFA supplements reduced all-cause mortality by 47 percent and reduced risk of cardiovascular events by 11 percent. 

Flavanol-rich cocoa help prevent heart attacks 

A study published in the March-April 2009 issue of Journal of the American Society of Hypertension suggests eating flavanol-rich cocoa may reduce risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack). 

Hollenberg N.K. and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Massacusetts report in their study that the Kuna Indians residing in an archipelago on the Caribbean Coast of Panama have very low blood pressure levels and a reduced frequency of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer. 

The researchers found their diet commonly includes high amounts of flavanol-rich cocoa; the researchers speculate that flavonoids in cocoa trigger nitric oxide synthesis in healthy humans. Nitric oxide is important for heart health. 

Southern European Atlantic Diet helps prevent heart attack 

A new study reported in the May 19, 2010 issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition  suggests that eating a Southern European Atlantic Diet may help prevent heart attacks. 

The research showed a 33 percent reduction in heart attack risk and was observed in those who maintain a diet similar to the Southern European Atlantic Diet. 

The diet is traditionally maintained in northern Portugal and Galicia, a region in northwest Spain where incidence of heart attack is very low; researchers wanted to know if the diet is associated with the low risk. 

For the study, Andreia Oliveira and colleagues from University of Porto Medical School in Porto, Portugal enlisted 820 patients who had suffered heart attacks and 2196 people who did not experience a cardiovascular event. 

All participants were surveyed for their dietary habits and incidence of myocardial infarction. Each participant's diet was assessed for its adherence to the Sothern European Atlantic Diet based on 9 key components, including fresh fish, cod, red meat and pork products, dairy products, legumes, and vegetables, vegetable soup, potatoes, whole grain bread and wine.

After an adjustment for the main confounders, 1-point increment on the adherence scale was associated with a 10 percent reduced risk for heart attacks. 

Those whose diet had highest adherence to the SEAD were 33 percent less likely to experience a heart attack than those who did not adhere to the diet as faithfully.