MI survivors who have an active sex life are less likely than celibate counterparts to die in the decades following their first heart event, an Israeli study suggests.

Researchers followed the fates of 1120 men and women, who were 65 younger at the time of their first MI, for up to 22 years. During the study period, 524 people died.

Compared with people who reported not having sex at all during the year before their MI, those who had intercourse more than once a week were 27% less likely to die during the study period.

Those who had sex weekly were 12% less likely to die and people who had sex infrequently were 8% less likely to die.