Hugh Hefner went deaf from too much Viagra, but said he'd rather have sex than have his hearing

He was known for his indefatigable sexual appetite

Hugh Hefner, who died yesterday aged 91, was notorious for popping Viagra like Skittles in order to maintain his very active sex life.

The pills, which have been linked in studies to sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), apparently left him almost completely deaf, however, with former twin lovers Karissa and Kristina Shannon telling The Sun last year that he had hearing aids and was completely deaf in one ear.

"You have to lean down and talk into his good ear for him to understand you," Karissa said.

"We could sit right next to him and he wouldn’t have a clue what we said."

But it seems this didn't give Hefner pause or leave him with any regret, with Karissa adding: "He said he would rather have sex than have his hearing."

(Getty Images for Playboy)

Addressing a 2011 report on links between hearing loss and Viagra, the NHS writes: "SSHL is a rare, emergency condition caused by damage to the inner ear structures, which can lead to permanent hearing loss. The study found 47 cases of hearing loss associated with taking this class of drug. Two-thirds of these cases occurred within 24 hours of taking the drug."

Playboy Enterprises announced Wednesday that Hefner had died in the Playboy Mansion from natural causes.

Playboy Magazine was founded by Hefner more than 60 years ago as an upscale men's magazine, combining images of nude women with in-depth articles, literature and interviews.

"Hugh M. Hefner, the American icon who in 1953 introduced the world to Playboy magazine and built the company into one of the most recognisable American global brands in history, peacefully passed away today from natural causes at his home, The Playboy Mansion, surrounded by loved ones," Playboy confirmed in a statement. "He was 91 years old."

Hugh Marston Hefner was born on 9 April , 1926, to strict Methodist parents. The eldest of two brothers, he served two years in the Army during World War II before finding a job at Esquire as a copywriter.

By 1953 he had saved $8,000 - enough to put the first issue of Playboy together. It hit newsstands in December that year and included an old nude photo of Marilyn Monroe, which Hefner had purchased to add some "oomph" to the centrefold. The issue sold more than 50,000 copies.

Though best known for its erotic photography, Playboy magazine has a long history of publishing short stories by novelists including Vladimir Nabokov, Chuck Palahniuk, Haruki Murakami and Margaret Atwood. Hunter S. Thompson was among its journalists.