Sexual Dysfunction Common in Young Women Following AMI

Young women who have had an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are more likely than young men to have sexual dysfunction in the subsequent year, according to a new analysis.

Although most young adults are sexually active before experiencing an AMI, sexual activity and function after the AMI is not well understood.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT
Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Dysfunction: Five Management Strategies
Sexual Dysfunction and Aging: Building a Bridge between Genders
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To conduct their study, the researchers analyzed data from 2802 patients aged 18 to 55 years who were treated for an AMI at hospitals in the United States and Spain and were participating in the Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients study, which was conducted from August 21, 2008, to January 5, 2012.

Sexual activity data was collected and analyzed at baseline, 1 month, and 1 year.

The results showed that men were more likely than women to resume sexual activity, and women reported more sexual dysfunction incidents in the year after the AMI.

Among those who were sexually active at baseline, 63.9% of men and 54.5% of women resumed sexual activity after one month, and 94.4% of men and 91.3% of women resumed after one year.

Of those sexually active before and after the AMI, more women than men reported sexual dysfunction, including lack of interest and trouble lubricating, within the year following the AMI.

Of those with no baseline sexual dysfunction, more women than men reported one or more sexual dysfunction incidents a year after the AMI.

Higher stress levels and having diabetes were significant indicators of sexual dysfunction in the year following the AMI.

“Impaired sexual activity and incident sexual function problems were prevalent and more common among young women than men in the year after AMI,” the researchers concluded. “Attention to modifiable risk factors and physician counseling may improve outcomes.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Lindau ST, Abransohn E, Bueno H, et al. Sexual activity and function in the year after an acute myocardial infarction among younger women and men in the United States and Spain [published online August 31, 2016]. JAMA Cardiol. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2016.2362.