Question: My husband is 55 and is recovering from his second heart attack. He wants to resume our sex life, but I’m worried that he will have another heart attack. Is sex safe for a man like him?

Dr. Hibberd's answer:
After a heart attack, it is common to fear that any type of sexual activity will provoke another one. People feel that if they've had a heart attack, stress to their bodies with sexual activity would cause harm. But fewer than 1% of heart attacks are precipitated that way. Sex can be considered as a form of exercise, and if your doctor has asked you to resume physical activity, you're also likely to be safe for sex. However, similar to any type of exercise, if you begin to feel symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, or palpitations, slow down. If it is angina, which is temporary pain or pressure in the chest when the heart doesn't get enough oxygen, it might help to take your nitroglycerin.