Swedish scientists have found that dog owners are 25% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease or other causes. Scientists estimated the data of 3.4 million people. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
What is the secret of dog owners?
Dog owners often walk along the street - one of the possible reasons for the positive effect. However, pets also help single people better tolerate social exclusion. Often people meet other dog owners on the street, which contributes to communication.
Social exclusion and lack of exercise are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Owning a dog has significant health benefits, as it obliges you to move.
The study was made possible because in Sweden all dog owners have to register animals since 2001. They are identified using a special number.
Dog registries appeared less often or later than regular people in registries. In general, dog owners had a lower risk of death and were less likely to be hospitalized with cardiovascular disease. The effect was especially evident in single-person households.
A dog can reduce the risk of death and cardiovascular disease by about 1/3.
In households with few people, the dog has less impact on the person. Interestingly, the effect depended on the breed of the dog.
Which breeds have the greatest effect?
Animals bred for hunting (terriers, retrievers, German shepherds) showed better results than domestic dogs.
In mixed breeds, a prophylactic effect was not detected. This may have social reasons, because buying these animals is cheaper. They are also more often found in socially vulnerable layers, where the risk of cardiovascular disease is higher.
In epidemiological studies, a causal relationship cannot be proven. Nevertheless, it seems believable. However, it is also clear that not all owners walk dogs along the street. Therefore, not all people benefit from pets.
Do dogs help even the elderly?
A sense of need and work is an incentive for older people. Pet care can satisfy this need and contribute to a longer and healthier life.
Since older social contacts are often reduced and older people become isolated, animals have a positive social effect.
Research has shown that any breed of dog in a nursing home affects patients with dementia. If they spend more time with the pet, they become calmer.
Are bacteria and parasites good?
Dogs carry all kinds of microbes and bacteria into the house - and that's good.
Especially children benefit from family members: their immune system strengthens against bacteria and parasites of the pet.
Result: Children who have raised a dog are less likely to develop allergies in subsequent years. Also, children from "canine families" suffer less from a cold, cough or ear infections.
Dogs stimulate the release of "hormones of happiness"
After a fifteen-minute game with a dog, the body releases more mood-enhancing substances - dopamine and serotonin. When a person cuddles with an animal, oxytocin is released, which stimulates a trusting relationship. Owners of dogs that are exposed to stress recover much faster than those who do not have pets.
Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand with a lack of social contact. And even with dementia, there is a suspicion that loneliness contributes to this.
Dog owners are rarely alone. And through the dog they also find contact with other people - in the dog meadow, while walking or in the veterinarian’s waiting room.
2 out of 3 dog owners even have a romantic relationship with a dog.
The most obvious positive health effect is an increase in the physical activity of dog owners. Scientists emphasize that this can be the other way around: people who are very active in principle can also choose these dogs.
