A Pet Dog Can Lower Heart Disease Risks

According to a recently published study in the journal Scientific Reports, the people who own dogs have been found with a higher level of physical activity. It could be considered as one of the reasons that help prevent heart diseases.

Apart from this, a pet dog instills a greater sense of well-being in people. It helps them grow social contacts and make new bonds. The effects of the dog on the bacterial microbiome in the owner could be another reason behind reduced heart disease risks in people.

“Dog ownership is especially prominent as a protective factor for people living alone, which is a group reported previously to be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death than those living in a multi-person household. Perhaps a dog may stand in as an important family member in the single households,” said Mwenya Mubanga, researcher at the Uppsala University in Sweden.

“The results showed that single dog owners had a 33 per cent reduction in risk of death and 11 per cent reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease during follow-up compared to single non-owners. Another interesting finding was that owners to dogs from breed groups originally bred for hunting were most protected,” Mubanga added.

For this study, the team tracked over 3.4 million dog owners for 12 years, ages ranging between 40 to 80 years. With single-person households, the effects of dog ownership showed great results. It showed a lowered risk of death by 33% and reduced chances of a heart attack by 11%.

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