Demographic, clinical, and psychological factors influencing sexual activity cessation in patients with angiographically-confirmed ischaemic heart disease.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual activity constitutes a significant aspect of health considerably influencing self-assessment of the quality of life. In Poland, data regarding the return in patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) to sexual activity are scarce and inadequate.

AIM: The aim of this work is to analyse the return to sexual activity in patients with IHD after a hospitalisation related to invasive diagnostics of coronary arteries as well as to identify predisposing factors associated with cessation of sexual activity.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: 98 patients with angiographically documented IHD were involved in retrospective analysis. 46 patients (46.9%) were diagnosed with myocardial infarction (MI), 29 (29.6%) with stable angina (SA) and 23 (23.5%) with unstable angina (UA). Demographic, clinical and psychological factors were assessed. Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Acceptance of Illness Scale, and EuroQol-5D health questionnaires were used.

RESULTS: The cessation of sexual activity after a hospitalisation due to invasive diagnostics of coronary arteries was noted almost in 1/3 of the IHD patients within 6-months observation period. There were no statistically significant differences in the percentages of sexually active and inactive patients related to gender. The elderly patients were more likely to cease sexual activity (p = 0.006). Sexually active patients also represented significantly lower level of anxiety-trait (p = 0.0003) and anxiety-state (p = 0.001). They also had a higher level of the acceptance of the disease (p = 0.002) at the end of hospitalisation and presented significantly lower severity of depression (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS: Cessation of sexual activity in patients with IHD after a hospitalisation due to coronarography is associated with their older age, being single, obesity, lower quality of life, depression, higher level of anxiety, and lower acceptance of illness. Underestimating or omitting the realm of sexual health of hospitalised patients with IHD affects the patients' return to sexual activity. Patients with IHD, who decided to discuss, during their hospitalisation, the impact of cardiac disease and the invasive procedure they had undergone on their sexual activity, more frequently return to sexual activity over the 6-months observation period.