According to researchers from Toronto, led by Caroline Kramer from Mount Sinai Hospital, dog owners have low risks of heart diseases and fewer chances to die from cardiovascular conditions. The study appeared this Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal.
The scientists surveyed the data of 3.8 million people collected during ten previous studies conducted between 1950 and 2019. The data revealed that people who own dogs present have fewer chances of premature death by 24 percent.
But, the risk of developing heart diseases drops by 31 percent in dog owners. Even more, the researchers found that those dog owners who survived a heart attack present a reduced risk of death by 65 percent.
“It is an important paper to suggest a link, but not to provide a definitive answer. Maybe it’s not the dog itself; it’s that people already have a healthier lifestyle before,” said Caroline Kramer. She added that the preliminary results are promising, but further studies are needed.
Dog Owners Present Low Risks Of Heart Diseases
While the study’s outcomes are indeed impressive, the research did not focus on other factors that might help dog owners have lower risks of heart disease and death in comparison with non-owners.
The scientists believe that dog owners have higher incomes and already adopted a healthy lifestyle. Also, they have to walk their dogs 2-3 times a day, and that means a less sedentary lifestyle. Although the study only linked dog ownership to lower risks of heart disease, there might be many other health benefits thanks to dogs.
“If the joy of having a dog is not there, maybe the effect is not the same. If they consider all that and they have the proper lifestyle for that, I would say that maybe that it’s something that can change your life,” Kramer explained, highlighting how beneficial owning a dog could be.
In short, the new study, which is only statistical, concluded that dog owners have low risks of heart diseases. However, why is that happening is the subject of future studies in this regard.