Are Dogs Really Our Best Friends?
Can dogs prevent heart attacks?
Some would argue that canine potty training, vet bills, and time spent fixing doggy mischief CAUSES heart attacks.
Well, do dogs prevent heart attacks?
If you’ve had a heart attack, dogs MAY prevent death from heart disease. One year long study of 100 people with heart attacks showed that 28% of non-dog owners died compared with only 6% of those who had pets, primarily dogs. Another study showed that the chance of dying after a heart attack was four times higher in non-dog owners than dog owners. Another three year study of 460 heart attack patients found that not owning a pet was more predictive of death than depression.
Do dogs prevent heart attacks in people without heart disease?
There is no known survival advantage to pet ownership in those without heart disease.
Well, what about cats? Do they prevent heart attacks?
Interestingly, cat ownership does not protect one from death after a heart attack. One study even showed that cat owners had higher death rates and a higher chance of getting hospitalized after a heart attack.
In fact, the science is so in favor of dogs over cats that the American Heart Association has said this:
Pet ownership, PARTICULARLY DOG OWNERSHIP, may be reasonable for reduction in [heart attack] risk.
I’m guessing my pet scorpion won’t help prevent heart disease. How is it that dogs may prevent heart attacks?
Dogs may lessen the risk of heart attacks by lowering blood pressure, increasing physical activity, and lowering stress.
Do dogs really lower their owner’s blood pressure?
One interesting study had 15 people with high blood pressure adopt a dog from an animal shelter. The other 15 people in the study did not adopt a dog . . . at first. The group that adopted dogs had significantly lower blood pressure two and five months after the study began. What’s even more interesting is the 15 who hadn’t adopted a dog, then adopted a dog – and their blood pressure came down too!
Do dog owners do more physical activity than non-dog owners?
There are more than 20 studies that suggest that dog owners are more likely to get off the couch. One Australian survey observed that dog owners got 39 more minutes walking per week than non-dog owners. A Canadian study showed that dog owners walked more than 132 minutes per week compared with non-dog owners.
Lest you think that dog owners are simply more likely to be walkers, one study showed that getting a dog increased walking time by 31 minutes per week. Compared with cat owners, dog owners were also more likely to start and keep walking.
Can owning a dog lead to weight loss?
One study showed that dog owners who did NOT walk their dog were 60% more likely to be overweight than dog owners who did.
Can dogs reduce stress?
One pretty cool study looked at stockbrokers with high blood pressure. Half were treated with high blood pressure medicine and the other half with medicine AND a pet (mostly dogs). When each participant underwent a highly stressful situation, the non-pet group had a much higher blood pressure response to the stress.
Okay Doc, should I go buy a dog?
Dog ownership may reduce your chances of dying after a heart attack as it may lead to lower blood pressure, more physical activity, and less stress. Owning a cat or any other type of pet – even scorpions – has not shown the same benefits. Dogs may really be our best friends.
As a dog owner, I found this article interesting. I firmly believe owning a dog helps with activity and stress levels, provided the dog has a good temperament and doesn’t destroy a lot of things! Dogs “read” their owners and can tell when something is upsetting them — they have a knack of calming you down by licking your face, staring at you, and cuddling which immediately has a calming effect on a person. Thank you, Doctor, for this great article!
So, what I want to know is… Did you go out and get a dog after doing this blog? 😉