Having A Dog To Improve Your Cardiovascular Health
A heart attack is a latent risk for many people. Dog lovers know the warmth and comfort that their canine companions bring to their lives. But they may not be aware of the evidence suggesting that owning a dog is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
This does not mean that there is a clear cause and effect relationship between the two. But it does mean that owning pets can lower your risk of heart disease.
What is the evidence for improved cardiovascular health?
According to a recent study, the risk of suffering a cardiovascular event is lower if you have a dog. A cardiovascular problem can be a heart attack and your risk of death. How can just having a pet reduce your risk? Some of the proposed explanations are simply amazing.
In this research, the health and death records of more than 3 million people in Sweden between the ages of 40 and 80 were reviewed for more than a decade. And these yielded interesting data.
Compared to people in multi-person households without pets, people who lived with dogs had an 11% lower risk of death and a 15% lower chance of death from a cardiovascular cause.
These findings were even more dramatic for those who live alone. The risk of death was 33% lower among dog owners living alone. In addition, cardiovascular deaths were 36% lower and the risk of heart attack was 11% lower. The benefit was greatest for owners of certain dog breeds, such as retrievers and terriers.
Why Dog Ownership Could Benefit Your Cardiovascular Health
The most obvious explanation for why dogs can provide their owners with certain health benefits is that dog owners tend to be more active.
Believe it or not, taking your dogs out of the house or apartment several times a day to relieve themselves involves exercise. In fact, people who walk their dogs are more physically active than their neighbors without dogs.
And this could explain why the most active dog breeds – such as retrievers – are associated with the greatest benefit. In addition, it could clarify why single people – who must bear the entire ‘burden’ of walking the dog – benefit the most.
Other explanations for improved cardiovascular health
1. Improves immune function
Believe it or not, having a dog that brings dirt and germs into the home could improve the way the immune system works and reduce harmful inflammation in the body.
2. Modify the microbiome
The large number of bacteria in our digestive system changes not only with changes in diet, but also with pet ownership. Owning a dog may alter the types of bacteria we harbor, which in turn could affect inflammation in the body and the resulting cardiovascular risk.
3. Social impact
Dog owners must, at least to some extent, focus outside of them, which can promote social interaction. Also, dog owners tend to bond with each other as their dogs play together and make friends. Previous research has found that social contact is linked to lower cardiovascular risk and death rates.
4. Improved mood
Some have proposed that unconditional affection and the company of dogs can improve mood, lower stress levels and, through this affection, improve health. In the future, we will surely understand better how having the company of a dog brings health benefits.
Of course, later questions will arise about the benefits of having cats and other pets. Until we know more, the apparent health benefits of dog ownership should be encouraging for people with dogs everywhere.
However, pets should not be adopted for the sole purpose of reducing the risk of heart disease. And definitely, no one should incorporate a dog into their life if they are not ready or unable to properly care for it.
