The study showed that men who indulged in regular lovemaking were up to 45 per cent less likely to develop life-threatening heart conditions than those who had sex once a month or less.

In the research of over 1,000 men, scientists found that sex apparently has a protective effect on the male heart but they did not examine whether women benefit too.

Thus, American researchers who carried out the investigation are now calling for doctors to screen men for sexual activity when assessing their risk of heart disease, reports a major newspaper.