Explained: What Can Cause Sudden Death During Sex

Out of several thousand sudden cardiac deaths investigated in the study, about 0.2 percent either happened during sex or shortly afterwards, with the average age of the deceased being 38 years and 35 percent of these cases occurring in women.

A new study conducted by researchers at St. George's, University of London suggests that sudden cardiac deaths that occur during or soon after sexual intercourse may not be a phenomenon exclusive to older men.

The study, which investigated some 6,847 cases of sudden cardiac deaths referred to the university's centre for cardiac pathology, has found that 17 (0.2 percent) of them occurred either during sex or within one hour of intercourse.

According to an article published on The Conversation and penned by David C. Gaze, a senior lecturer in chemical pathology at the University of Westminster, the average age of the deceased was 38 years, with 35 percent of these cases occurring in women.

Meanwhile, a previous forensic postmortem study in Germany, which reviewed some 32,000 sudden death cases over a period of 33 years established that 0.2 percent of these occurred during sexual activity, with the majority of the deceased being men whose average age was 59 years, with the most frequent cause of death being heart attack, Gaze notes, adding that studies of sudden cardiac death and sexual activity in the US, France, and South Korea show similar findings.

The deaths mentioned in the new study also weren't typically caused by heart attacks, “as seen in older men,” with the two most prevalent causes of death being sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (53 percent) and aortic dissection (12 percent).

The research shows that sudden cardiac death in people younger than 50 is primarily caused by sudden arrhythmic death syndrome or cardiomyopathies, and that younger adults who suffer from these conditions should seek medical advice on “the risk associated with sexual activity,” Gaze writes.