Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image
Topics: Japan, Health, Sex and Relationships, Mental Health, Science
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Japan, Health, Sex and Relationships, Mental Health, Science
A study has revealed a potential connection between having a lack of interest in sex and how long you live.
A study of 20,969 people in Japan looked at the link between sexual interest as an indicator of 'positive sexual relationships and sexual function' and how these have been 'recognized as important indicators of good health and quality of life'.
But what happens if you have an increased or decreased interest in sex?
Advert
Well, the study - titled Association between lack of sexual interest and all-cause mortality in a Japanese general population: The Yamagata prospective observational study and published in Journals - reflects on the results of previous studies showing positive psychological factors aid living longer (longevity) and 'decrease the risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer'.
Indeed, sex can be a positive psychological factor given the chemicals released during sex help boost mood and reduce stress.
So, to test whether or not someone not having as much interest in sex impacts their health and even their longevity, the study took 20,969 people (8,558 males and 12,411 females) under the age of 40 from Japan and studied them between 2009 to 2015.
During the follow-up process, the study notes 541 participants 'moved' or were 'lost' from the process, however, those who were kept in contact annually 'to a maximum of nine years, with a median of 7.1 years' were then 'evaluated for associations between lack of sexual interest and all-cause mortality, as well as cardiovascular and cancer mortality'.
The self-report questionnaires saw participants asked about their 'medical history, present use of medications and symptoms, blood pressure, frequency of laughter, sexual interest, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, marital status, education level, perceived mental stress, as well as involvement in social activities'.
Focusing on heterosexual relationships, the study states: "Lack of sexual interest was ascertained using a single-item question: 'Currently, do you have any interest in people of the opposite sex?'
"We provided two possible answers, ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Any person who answered ‘no’ was defined as lacking sexual interest."
The follow-up on participants revealed 503 people passed away - and within that 162 deaths resulted from cancer and 67 due to cardiovascular disease.
Using a method for estimating survival probabilities over time known as the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the study revealed 'all-cause mortality and cancer mortality were significantly elevated among men who lacked sexual interest'.
Cox proportional hazards model analysis - used to study how factors such as sex affect the risk of death - found 'with adjustment for age, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, alcohol drinking status, BMI, education, marital status, frequency of laughter, and psychological distress showed that the risk of all-cause mortality was significantly higher among men who lacked sexual interest than men who had sexual interest'.
The study resolved: "Lack of sexual interest is suggested to be a risk factor for all-cause mortality in Japanese males over 40 years old. This finding has implications for the importance of sexual interest in increasing longevity in this population."