Dr. Wes, a good friend of Medgadget, is reporting in his blog about a study in Circulation that looked into issues related to wearing implantable cardioverter defibrillators during sexual activity. Turns out that according to the study, “sexual activity was a likely contributor in fewer than 1% of cases. In fact, regular physical exertion, such as that associated with sexual activity, was associated with a decreased risk of cardiac events in patients!”
Here is what Dr. Wes, a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist, takes away from all this:
My rule of thumb: if you have a defibrillator (ICD) and can walk up two flights of stairs without getting a shock, you’ll probably be okay having sex. (Be sure to check with your doctor, these are just my ballpark recommendations. Also, this rule of thumb may not apply to those involved in extramarital affairs. As we’ve heard, heart rates accelerate much more when a naughty, clandestine element is involved).
More from Dr. Wes…
Article in Circulation: Sexual Health for Patients With an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator
