Heart Beat: Lack of sex affects the heart

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If your doctor asks about your sex life, take it as a good sign that he or she is exploring all avenues to check up on your heart and general health.

The connection between sexual activity and heart disease is murkier in women. In the national Women's Health Initiative, dissatisfaction with sexual activity (a shaky stand-in for problems of female sexual function) was linked to the development of peripheral artery disease, but not to heart attack, coronary artery disease, or other cardiovascular conditions.

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