Sex & Death: Japanese Scientists Explore Possible Ties Between Sexual Interest and Mortality Risk

The team behind the study claims that their work is "the first to prospectively examine associations between sexual interest and all-cause mortality."

A study conducted by researchers in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture suggests that a lack of sexual interest may be a “risk factor for all-cause mortality” for men older than 40.

During the course of the study, the participants –some 8,558 men and around 12,411 women at least 40 years of age – had their sexual interest assessed via a “self-report questionnaire.”

The results of a follow-up led the research team to conclude that men who displayed a lack of sexual interest also exhibited a greater “all-cause mortality and cancer mortality.”

The researchers noted that, while sexual activity and sexual satisfaction are regarded as beneficial for the “psychological health and wellbeing in older groups,” the relation between “sexual interest” and longevity has not been investigated so far.

“This study is the first to prospectively examine associations between sexual interest and all-cause mortality, and cardiovascular and cancer mortality in a community-based population,” they wrote.