A dog in the house means a longer life and better heart health

According to a new study and a separate meta-analysis on the subject, having a dog at home means living longer and having better cardiovascular health, especially for heart attack and stroke survivors who live alone.

Previous research has shown that dog ownership reduces social isolation, increases physical activity, and even lowers blood pressure.
“The two new studies provide good, quality data indicating dog ownership is associated with lower cardiac and all-cause mortality,” said Glenn N.Levine, Chair of the American Heart Association’s scientific statement on pet ownership writing group.

Using health data from the Swedish National Patient Register, researchers compared the health outcomes of dog owners and non-owners after a heart attack or stroke.
Patients in the study ranged in age from 40 to 85 years old and had suffered a heart attack or an ischemic stroke between 2001 and 2012.
When compared to people who did not own a dog, researchers discovered that dog owners had a 33% lower risk of death for heart attack patients living alone after hospitalisation, and a 15% lower risk for those living with a partner or child.

The risk of death was 27% lower for stroke patients who lived alone after hospitalisation and 12% lower for those who lived with a partner or child.
In the study, nearly 182,000 people were found to have had a heart attack, with nearly 6% being dog owners, and nearly 155,000 people found to have had an ischemic stroke, with nearly 5% being dog owners.
The lower risk of death associated with dog ownership could be explained by an increase in physical activity as well as a decrease in depression and loneliness, both of which have previously been linked to dog ownership in studies.

“Having a dog is a good motivation for physical activity, which is important in rehabilitation and mental health,” said Tove Fall, a professor at Sweden’s Uppsala University.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis on patient data from over 3.8 million people drawn from ten separate studies for a composite meta-analysis study.
Researchers discovered that dog owners had a 24% lower risk of all-cause mortality, a 65% lower risk of mortality after a heart attack, and a 31% lower risk of mortality due to cardiovascular issues when compared to non-owners.

“In previous studies, having a dog was associated with increased physical activity, lower blood pressure levels, and a better cholesterol profile,” said Caroline Kramer, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
The study’s and meta-analysis’ findings were published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.