Is It Dangerous To Have Sexual Intercourse When You Have Angina?

Dr. Mandeep Mehra answers the question: 'I Have Angina. Is Intercourse Safe?'

By
Mandeep Mehra, M.D., Chief of Cardiology, University of Maryland Medical Center; Professor of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine
May 2, 2008, 4:30 PM ET
1 min read

— -- Question: Is it dangerous to have sexual intercourse when you have angina?

Answer: It is dangerous to have sexual intercourse during an episode of angina, but certainly patients who have coronary artery disease should not shy away from sexual activity as long as their symptoms are quiescent.

For example, the stress imposed on the heart by the performance of sexual activity is no different than climbing one or two flights of stairs or perhaps vacuuming the home or even the amount of stress that's induced by light dusting at home. So most patients can and should engage in sexual activity as long as they're not suffering from symptoms of shortness of breath or easy fatigability or a low pump function of the heart that can really cause problems during sexual activity.

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