“You may think getting involved in an affair is great when it starts, but it often leads to immense stress, causing heart disease and cancer,” renowned cardiac specialist Chauncey Crandall, M.D., tells Newsmax Health.
When we think of health problems from risky sexual behavior we often think of sexually transmitted diseases. But the most serious medical effects from an extramarital affair are often heart related, said Dr. Crandall, head of cardiac preventive services at the Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
The dangers are multifold, he said. First, men who engage in illicit sexual activity are often at high risk for heart attacks even before the affair begins. “Older men may have underlying heart disease, and the extra stress that occurs during an affair may be what pushes them over the edge. During sex, their heart rate and blood pressure becomes greatly increased, and this can cause plaque in the coronary arteries to rupture and cause a heart attack,” said Dr. Crandall.
Indeed, this is backed up by medical studies, including one published in May in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Researchers from the University of Florence analyzed data about men who had heart attacks. Men who were cheating on their wives, especially with younger women, were found to be more likely to have heart attacks compared to men who were faithful.
But it’s not only physical stress that takes a toll on health. The emotional stress is devastating as well. “When you are having an illicit affair, you are hiding a big secret, and this adds huge mental stress to everything you do,” said Dr. Crandall.
When you’re under stress, your body pumps out increased levels of certain hormones, including adrenalin and cortisol, which circulates in the bloodstream, and are linked to the development of heart disease along with some types of cancer, he explained.
The stress of being found out can be too much for many men to bear, Dr. Crandall said. “If you’re in politics or political service, the likelihood of being found out is enormous, because everyone is watching you and waiting for you to stumble. But, for even ordinary people having an affair, the likelihood of being found out is magnified these days, because of the Internet and because phone calls and activity can be so easily traced,” he said.
When affairs become public, stress can engulf the entire family, which causes heartbreak and depression for the aggrieved spouse as well. If divorce occurs, the health risks increase further.
“Studies have found that getting divorced can shorten the lifespan for up to 10 years, and I’m not only talking about the person who has the affair, but also the children as well,” said Dr. Crandall, adding, “I tell people that committing adultery is like a surgical scar – it’s ugly and it is something that will never go away.”
This post can be encapsulated in three words of chazal - שכר עבירה עבירה.
Think about it:-)
Love always,
Me
PS - See previous post. Another example.
