ZME Science
  • Science News
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Economics
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
      • Culture & Society
      • Bizarre Stories
      • Lifestyle
      • Art and Music
      • Gaming
      • Books
      • Movies and Shows
    • Resources
      • How To
      • Science Careers
      • Metascience
      • Fringe Science
      • Science Experiments
      • School and Study
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Health

Pet owners (and dog owners especially) are healthier, new study finds

In case you needed another reason to run down to the animal shelter, here's one.

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
August 26, 2019 - Updated on January 15, 2020
in Health, Home science
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A

Dog owners are more likely to exercise and they’re also more likely to have better heart health, a new study shows.

Cute Pet Dog Animal Head Canine Outdoors Park

A heart’s best friend

Humans have co-evolved with dogs for tens of thousands of years. Over the course of our common history, both we and our canine friends have changed quite a bit — and our relationship has also shifted. Most often, dog owners nowadays walk their pets a couple of times a day, which means they are more physically active and, consequently, have better health.

This idea has been confirmed in a new study.

The study traced health metrics from 1,700 people participating in the Kardiozive Brno 2030 study, which followed 1% of the population in the city of Brno, Czech Republic. The study analyzed various measures related to cardiovascular health: body mass index, diet, physical activity, smoking status, blood pressure, blood glucose, and total cholesterol. The study also compared pet ownership with the measured health metrics.

All pet ownership was linked to better cardiovascular health, but the results were most noticeable for dog owners.

Study co-author Andrea Maugeri, a researcher with the International Clinical Research Center at St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno and Italy’s University of Catania, commented in a statement:

“In general, people who owned any pet were more likely to report more physical activity, better diet and blood sugar at ideal level.”

As more and more people are suffering from cardiovascular diseases, pet ownership can be an important and beneficial intervention.

Surprisingly, the data also found that dog owners are more likely to be smokers, which overshadows the positive effects associated with dog ownership — although this might be skewed by cultural factors, as smoking is quite prevalent in the Czech Republic.

This isn’t the first study to conclude that dog ownership improves cardiovascular and mental health. A landmark study from Sweden analyzed the effects of dog ownership on a nationwide cohort of 3,432,153 individuals, with 12 years of follow-up. The benefits were especially impressive for single-person households, where dog ownership was associated with lower risks of both all-cause mortality and CVD mortality (33% and 36% reductions, respectively). People living in multiple-person households also benefited from dog ownership with significantly lower risks of all-cause mortality and CVD mortality (11% and 15% reductions, respectively).

However, there’s an important question here: do dogs make owners healthier, or are healthier people more likely to adopt a dog in the first place? The answer to that question isn’t entirely clear, but the evidence seems to support the former, says Jose Medina-Inojosa, M.D., one of the study authors. Furthermore, one recent study published last year in the journal BMC Psychiatry looking at 17 existing papers concluded that having a pet could ease symptoms of mental illness.

In other words, if you’re on the fence about adopting a furry friend, you can add “improving health” to the list of advantages.

The study was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Tags: dogpet ownership

ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2023 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Economics
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
      • Culture & Society
      • Bizarre Stories
      • Lifestyle
      • Art and Music
      • Gaming
      • Books
      • Movies and Shows
    • Resources
      • How To
      • Science Careers
      • Metascience
      • Fringe Science
      • Science Experiments
      • School and Study
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2023 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW