Men who are interested in sex live longer than those who aren’t, Japan study finds

A study in Japan has for the first time examined how an interest in sex determines how long a man is likely to live. The study says that middle-aged and older men with no interest in sex tend to die earlier as compared to those who are sexually engaged. The conclusion is the result of a nine-year study held by scientists at Yamagata University. Medical histories and stress levels of around 21,000 participants, both men and women, were studied by the researchers. All of them were 40 years or older.

Dr Kaori Sakurada led the study that reached the conclusion that men with an interest in sex tend to live longer. More than 8,500 men participated in the study, of which 8.3 per cent had no interest in the opposite sex. Of the 16.1 per cent of the roughly 12,400 women who participated, said they had no interest in the opposite sex. Notably, a total of 356 men and 147 women died while the research was on.

The study interestingly found that 9.6 per cent of the men who expressed no interest in the opposite sex died over the nine years. However, just 5.6 per cent of those who said they were still interested in women died over the same time period.

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“Compared to participants who had sexual interest, those who lacked sexual interest included significantly higher percentages who currently smoked, drank in the past, were psychologically distressed, laughed relatively infrequently, and had lower educational attainment," the study, published by the US online science journal Plos One, said.

The study adjusted for factors like age, health, marital status, frequency of laughter and stress levels to conclude that mortality was “significantly greater in males who lacked sexual interest than in males who had sexual interest".

Men who weren't as inclined towards sex had an increased risk for cancer mortality, the study said.

However, the researchers don't know how an interest in sex affects mortality.

“Precisely how a lack of sexual interest impacts health and longevity remains unknown, although several possibilities can be considered,” the study said. It may be attributed to an unhealthy lifestyle, such as smoking and drinking, for men who lacked interest in sex, the researchers said.

When it came to women, the study failed to establish any link between an interest in sex and mortality.

Sakurada told the Asahi newspaper that encouraging men to interact with people and to have an interest in the opposite sex can help them live longer.

(With inputs from agencies)

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