Group says sex poses little risk for heart attack survivors.

The CBS Evening News (1/19, story 10, 1:55, Pelley) reported that "the American Heart Association answered the question" of when it is safe to resume sex following a heart attack "with new guidelines."

        The AP (1/20) reports, "In its first science-based recommendations on the subject, the American Heart Association says having sex only slightly raises the chance for a heart attack. And that's true for people with and without heart disease."

        Bloomberg News (1/20, Ostrow) reports, "The act of intercourse is generally comparable to climbing two flights of stairs, said Glenn Levine, a professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the paper's lead author. The scientific statement, published in the...heart group's journal, Circulation, may provide a road map for doctors to counsel patients, he said."

        The Los Angeles Times (1/20, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reports that individuals "who undergo cardiac rehab or who exercise regularly have a lower risk of complications related to sexual activity, the authors said." Typically, "medications for erectile dysfunction are safe for men with stable cardiovascular disease."

        CNN /Health.com (1/20, Harding) reports, "Most cardiologists fail to raise the topic with their patients, and they are even less likely to ask about anxiety or depression, Levine says."

        HealthDay (1/20, Dotinga) reports, "The heart association also cautions that there needs to be more research into how sexual activity affects the cardiovascular system of women and older people who have specific conditions." Also covering the story were WebMD (1/20, Boyles).