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Stable extramarital affairs are breaking the heart

  1. A. D. Fisher1,†,
  2. E. Bandini1,†,
  3. G. Corona1,2,
  4. M. Monami3,
  5. M. Cameron Smith1,
  6. C. Melani4,
  7. D. Balzi4,
  8. G. Forti1,
  9. E. Mannucci3,
  10. M. Maggi1

Article first published online: 2 JUN 2011

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2011.01176.x

Issue

International Journal of Andrology

International Journal of Andrology

Volume 35, Issue 1, pages 11–17, February 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Fisher, A. D., Bandini, E., Corona, G., Monami, M., Cameron Smith, M., Melani, C., Balzi, D., Forti, G., Mannucci, E. and Maggi, M. (2012), Stable extramarital affairs are breaking the heart. International Journal of Andrology, 35: 11–17. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2011.01176.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Andrology Unit, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

  2. 2

    Endocrinology Unit, Maggiore-Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy

  3. 3

    Diabetes Section, Geriatric Unit, Department of Critical Care, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

  4. 4

    Epidemiological Unit, Azienda Sanitaria Locale, Florence, Italy

  1. †

    Dr Fisher and Bandini equally contributed to the article.

*Prof. Mario Maggi, Andrology Unit, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy. E-mail: m.maggi@dfc.unifi.it

  1. †

    Dr Fisher and Bandini equally contributed to the article.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 JAN 2012
  2. Article first published online: 2 JUN 2011
  3. Received 9 November 2010; revised 18 February 2011; accepted 25 February 2011

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Keywords:

  • epidemiology;
  • erectile dysfunction;
  • extramarital affair;
  • infidelity;
  • risk assessment

Summary

The relationship between extramarital affairs and cardiovascular risk is still not completely clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate whether extramarital affairs have a protective effect on cardiovascular risk or, conversely, a deleterious one. Among patients studied, 91.8% of the whole sample reported no or occasional extramarital affairs, while 8.2% declared a stable secondary relationship. During a median follow-up of 4 [0–8] years, 95 major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), eight of which were fatal, were observed. Cox analysis, after adjustment for confounding factors, showed that presence of stable extramarital affair was associated with a higher incidence of MACE (HR = 2.13 [1.12; 4.07], p = 0.023). The introduction in the Cox model of patient perceived partner’s hypoactive sexual desire (PPPHSD) attenuates the association (HR 1.86 [0.93; 3.70], p = 0.078). The sample was therefore divided according to PPPHSD. We observed that unadjusted incidence of MACE was significantly associated with presence of extramarital affairs only in men reporting a primal partner without PPPHSD. This association was also confirmed in a Cox regression model, after adjusting for confounders (HR = 2.87 [1.81; 6.98], p = 0.020). We can conclude that to be unfaithful represents an independent risk factor for MACE. Therefore, infidelity induces not only heart trouble in the betrayed partners, but seems to be also able to increase the betrayer’s heart-related events.

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