"Too often physicians and researchers are too embarrassed to ask questions about sexual health, and yet these issues are important to many people," said Harlan Krumholz, MD, professor of medicine at Yale and director of the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, one of the authors in charge of the study. "We need to concern ourselves with gaining knowledge about how to help our patients achieve a high quality of life in all aspects of their lives."

The data show that if a physician talks to the patient about sexual health and function after a heart attack the patient is more likely to resume sex. However, women were less likely to be counseled by physicians on what to expect and more likely to have problems with sexual function as they recover. More than half of women (59%) and less than half (46%) of men reported sexual function problems in the year after a heart attack.

"The next step is to design the optimal intervention to improve sexual function outcomes after heart attack for men and women," said Stacy Tessler Lindau, MD, associate professor of obstetrics/gynecology and medicine-geriatrics at the University of Chicago, who authored the research. "The rehabilitation phase begins with the cardiologist counseling the patient about her or his functional capabilities and what she or he can expect, including physical, psychological, and sexual function."

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Materials provided by University of Chicago Medical Center. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

1. Stacy Tessler Lindau, Emily Abramsohn, Hector Bueno, Gail D’Onofrio, Judith H. Lichtman, Nancy P. Lorenze, Rupa Mehta Sanghani, Erica S. Spatz, John A. Spertus, Kelly M. Strait, Kristen Wroblewski, Shengfan Zhou, Harlan M. Krumholz. Sexual Activity and Function in the Year After an Acute Myocardial Infarction Among Younger Women and Men in the United States and Spain. JAMA Cardiology, 2016; DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2016.2362