Senior Living

Sex an important part of post-50 relationships

A recent study from the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) found that men and women between 40 and 69 were the most likely to use online dating websites, with more than one third of respondents saying they met their current partner through the internet. The study, along with another recent study on similar subject matter, helped dispel a commonly-held belief that online dating was for younger adults, and the practice can help reshape the view of senior living, The Huffington Post reports.

The most recent research comes from the online dating site OurTime.com and found that a surprising 97 percent of people over the age of 50 consider regular sex to be an important part of romantic relationships. The same turned out to be true for married boomers, as according to AARP's sex and relationship ambassador Dr. Pepper Schwartz they have more sex than any other demographic.

Despite the desire, some older adults who have a history with heart conditions may have been worried about whether or not they could engage in sexual activity. Luckily for them, a new report from the American Heart Association (AHA) found that sex carries a low risk for heart patients.

While the AHA advises heart patients to consult a doctor beforehand it also said that the chances of having a heart attack caused by sex are very low.

"The risk of having a heart attack during sexual activity is two to three times higher than when not having sexual activity," lead author Dr. Glenn Levine told The Associated Press. "However, this increased risk of heart attack during sexual activity represents only a very small part of a person's overall risk of having a heart attack, and sexual activity is the cause of less than one percent of all heart attacks."