Pet Ownership Associated with Decreased Risk of Heart Disease

A latest scientific statement by the American Heart Association suggests that having a pet reduces the risk of heart diseases. The study is published in the journal Circulation.

"Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, is probably associated with a decreased risk of heart disease" said Glenn N. Levine, M.D., professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, in a press statement.

The study shows that pet ownership is linked with reduced heart disease risk factor and greater survival rates among patients. But the finding is not definitive.

This could be because of the fact that healthy people are the ones that own pets and not vice versa; that having a pet actually leads to or causes a drop in cardiovascular risk, explains Levine.

The reason why the study links dog ownership with reduced heart diseases is because owners with dogs get involved in more physical activity since they walk them. In a previous study conducted on 5,200 adults, it was observed that dog owners were involved in more walking and physical activity when compared to non-dog owners, and nearly 54 percent of them were more likely to get the required level of physical activity.

Apart from this, the study also suggests that owning pets may be related to reduced blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and also a reduced rate of obesity. Pets pose a positive effect on the body's reaction to stress.

"In essence, data suggest that there probably is an association between pet ownership and decreased cardiovascular risk," Levine said. "What's less clear is whether the act of adopting or acquiring a pet could lead to a reduction in cardiovascular risk in those with pre-existing disease. Further research, including better quality studies, is needed to more definitively answer this question."