Study: A heart attack shouldn't kill your sex life

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Medical Writer

(AP) - A new study finds that many heart attack survivors are afraid to resume having sex, and few of them are talking about this with their doctors.

Researchers found that less than half of men and only about a third of the women in the study got advice on this topic when they were leaving the hospital. Those who did have a talk about sex with their doctors were 30 to 40 percent more likely to be sexually active a year after their heart attacks.

Doctors say it is safe to resume having sex as soon as the patient feels better and can handle moderate exercise. The odds of suffering a heart attack during sex are very small.

The study is being presented Friday at a medical conference in Washington.