Many couples avoid sex after one partner suffers a heart attack, for fear of causing another.
But that's unlikely to happen. As it does during any type of physical exertion, the heart does beat more rapidly during sex, but not dangerously so. The exertion of intercourse is roughly equivalent to the effort of climbing a flight of stairs. So if someone who's recovered from a heart attack can comfortably climb two flights of stairs or walk briskly around the block, sex probably poses little risk. If you or your partner has had a heart attack, ask your doctor when you can resume sex, what signs and symptoms to be alert for, and what to do should sex trigger symptoms of a heart attack.