High Blood Pressure and Sex
In April 2010, Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao urged his fellow citizens to have more sex because it is an important form of exercise. This is intended to prevent chronic diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels.
According to experts, patients with high blood pressure should also talk about sexual activity during doctor visits. The feared heart attack during sex is considered very rare (under 1 percent). The Deutsche Ärztezeitung reports on this topic in detail:
Accordingly, the physical exertion of sex is not considered dangerous for people whose hypertension is well controlled, possibly with medication. If in doubt, a cardiovascular stress test should be performed.
A recent study published in the journal Biological Psychology showed that regular sex can even lower blood pressure. Participants who reported having a satisfying sex life had lower blood pressure under stress than those who were less sexually active or not sexually active at all. The study also found a difference between sex with a partner and masturbation: sex with a partner lowered blood pressure more than masturbation.
Erectile Dysfunction (Erection Problems)
Erectile dysfunction caused by high blood pressure is common in people with hypertension. Medication is often blamed for it. However, according to the latest findings, researchers are confident that most blood pressure medications do not pose a risk to male potency. Rather, overall health is responsible for declining male sexual function. In addition to high blood pressure, many patients also have other problems, such as elevated blood lipid levels, diabetes and/or excess weight. In these cases, erectile dysfunction should be understood as a component of metabolic syndrome. In the HOPE-3 study, neither blood pressure medication nor cholesterol-lowering drugs led to a higher rate of newly occurring erectile dysfunction than in the comparison group taking a placebo. Unfortunately, lowering blood lipid levels and blood pressure with medication did not prevent the condition from occurring.
In such cases, doctors can prescribe medications for erectile dysfunction (PDE-5 inhibitors, such as Viagra). They can usually be taken without complications. One exception is the simultaneous use of nitrates. The two types of drugs are incompatible because combining them could lead to serious adverse events. Some other cardiovascular conditions also rule out taking Viagra or other PDE-5 inhibitors.
Sources
- http://www.medizinfo.de/urologie/erektile_dysfunktion/pde5-hemmer.shtml
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051105000736#
- http://drwerner.webseiten.cc/fileadmin/Dokumente/PDF-Dokumente/HOPE3.pdf
- https://www.aerztezeitung.de/medizin/krankheiten/herzkreislauf/herzinsuffizienz/article/802808/neun-sextipps-herzkranke.html
This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 02/2026).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
