Sex is a physical activity that increases your heart rate, makes you sweat and is responsible for burning calories. So how then can sex be fatal? A study led by an Indian-origin cardiologist has found that levels of sex hormones in the blood are linked to the heart rhythm disorder.
What are Sex Hormones?
Higher testosterone (the predominant male sex hormone) levels in men may offer protection from sudden cardiac arrest and lower levels of estrogen (the major female sex hormone) may protect both men and women.
“This is the first time it has been reported that there is an association between sex hormone levels and sudden cardiac arrest,” said lead researcher Sumeet Chugh, director of the heart rhythm center at Cedars Sinai Heart Institute in the US.
Cardiac arrest which comes with little or no warning is fatal in 95 percent of patients. Up to five million people worldwide die from this heart rhythm disorder every year.
The Sex Hormone Study
Researchers measured blood hormone levels in 149 patients who had a sudden cardiac arrest, comparing them with levels of 149 patients who had coronary artery disease but did not have a sudden cardiac arrest.
Conclusion
While lower levels of testosterone were found in men who had a sudden cardiac arrest, higher levels of estrogen were strongly associated with greater chances of having a sudden cardiac arrest in both men and women.
Causes of Low Testosterone in Men
1) Underactive testes
2) Testosterone reduces after the age of 30.
3) Injury to the testicles
4) Radiation and chemotherapy
5) Pituitary disorders, inflammatory diseases, and HIV/AIDS
6) Obesity
7) Medication
Causes for High Estrogen Levels in Women
1) Obesity
2) Cardiovascular diseases
3) Insulin resistance
4) Digestive problems
5) Menstruation
6) Estrogen replacement therapy can also spike estrogen levels.
