Dying in the saddle
Last week, newspapers reported that a 61-year-old man died while having sex in a Mumbai hotel. Many readers reached out to me after reading these reports, seeking to allay their fears.
There are various euphemisms for death during sex, including dying in the saddle or the French la mort d'amour. Deaths during consensual sex accounts for approximately only 0.6% of all sudden deaths. It can occur for a number of reasons, because of the physical strain of the activity, or because of certain unusual circumstances.
According to guesstimates, 30 million Indians have cardiac problems, and sometimes, these problems result in death during intercourse. The majority of deaths due to cardiovascular causes during sex occur in males.
Studies show that people with existing cardiac conditions will develop chest pain only when the heart rate touches 135/min. Thankfully, nature has ensured that even during the peak of an orgasm, the heart rate touches only 117/min. The energy expended during orgasm is 4.5 – 5.5 mets (metabolic equivalents: 3.5 ml of oxygen consumption/kg body weight/minute). Those who have suffered a heart attack can expend 8 to 9 mets.
According to the guidelines of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association, those who suffer uncomplicated heart attacks can resume their sex life about 10 days later. However, this period of abstinence depends on various factors, like the extent of recovery and the person’s exercise tolerance level. Hence it is advisable to check with your cardiologist before resuming sexual activity.
By and large, if the person can walk briskly or climb two flights of stairs without developing chest pain or undue breathlessness, he/she can safely resume sex life. Alternatively, they can undergo a treadmill test and if the results show good exercise tolerance, they can have sex.
On the other hand, a number of deaths during consensual sex have been linked to the use of prescription or recreational drugs, such as cocaine. It is also important to note that the man in this particular case was having sex with a lover and not his wife. He was also consuming alcohol and eating while having sex.
A 2011 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine propounded that men who were unfaithful to their wives were significantly more likely than those who were faithful to experience severe or fatal cardiac events during sex.