Animal
Owning A Dog Reduces Early Dying Risks By 24%, Scientists Say
Sounds like a good reason to convince parents and partners to get a puppy now.
A systematic review of journals related to dog owners the indirect impact on their owners’ life shows that dog owners can reduce early dying risks to 24%. The journal, titled ‘Circulation’ was published on Tuesday and led by Dr. Caroline Kramer an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of Toronto.
Over 4 million participants from the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom were involved in the study. In one of her conclusion, she wrote, “Dog ownership was associated with a 24% reduction in all-cause mortality.”
Meta-analysis for people with pre-diagnosed cardiovascular risks shows that “they had a 31% reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.”
Another study that involved more than 330,000 Swedish citizens has also concluded that owning dogs have helped many in reducing cardiovascular-related health risks.
Speaking to CNN, the editor-in-chief of CardioSmart.org, Dr. Martha Gulati also points out an interesting finding, “The most interesting part of this study was that people who lived alone actually seem to get the greatest benefit in both the heart attack group and the stroke group.
“People who lived with a dog actually had less mortality than people living alone who didn’t have a dog.”
Tove Fall, an associate professor of epidemiology at Uppsala University in Sweden who’s also an author said, “We know that loneliness and social isolation are strong risk factors for premature death and our hypothesis was that the company of a pet can alleviate that.
“Single owners have to do all the dog walks and we know that physical activity is important in rehabilitation after myocardial infarction or stroke.”
“Is it the dog or is it the behaviors? Is it because you’re exercising or is it because there is a difference in the type of person who would choose to have a dog versus somebody who would not? Are they healthier or wealthier? We don’t know those things,” says Gulati who still can’t find out the direct cause.
It could be the necessity to walk their dogs daily or simply their companionship that helps alleviate stress and depression. Hospitals have also begun hiring therapy dogs for patients who suffered heart attacks and stroke. Cardiologists even prescribe dogs to help patients alleviate pain.
So, are you ready to get a dog on your own now?
