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Americans love owning pets. In fact, nearly half of all U.S. households have a dog and more than one-third have a cat. Most pet owners view their furry companions as valued members of their families. Like any relationship, pet ownership has its good times and bad times. But in general, pets bring their owners comfort and unconditional love. Pets may also promote better heart health, according to the American Heart Association. Take a look at five ways pets add to our lives.
1. Owning a pet may lower your blood pressure.
Researchers have studied whether pet ownership affects blood pressure. One study looking at this issue had some interesting results. In it, 30 people with borderline high blood pressure either adopted a dog at the beginning of the study or adopted a dog at the end of the study.
After several months, the adoption group had lower blood pressures compared to the delayed group. What’s more, the researchers followed up after all participants had adopted dogs and found lower blood pressures in the delayed group as well.
2. Owning a dog tends to increase your physical activity.
Dog owners tend to participate in more physical activity—particularly walking—than non-owners. This makes sense, as most dogs need regular walks. But not all dog owners walk their dog on a regular basis. If you aren’t as diligent as you should be, here’s some motivation—dog owners who regularly walk their dog are more likely to achieve recommended levels of daily physical activity. That’s good for your heart health and your waistline.
3. Pet ownership may affect your weight.
Owners who regularly walk their dog are less likely to be overweight or obese compared to non-owners and owners who don’t walk their dog. This makes sense because dog walkers are more likely to meet physical activity recommendations. But pets also provide emotional and social support. It’s possible this aspect of pet ownership may play a role in avoiding emotional eating and sticking with healthy eating habits.
4. Pets may lower your stress.
Studies on pets and stress look at the change in heart rate and blood pressure from a resting state to a stressed state. The stress can be physical, mental or psychological. Most studies suggest that pet owners react better to stress than non-owners. Their heart rate and blood pressure are lower at rest, do not rise as high, and return to normal faster. The effect tends to be greater when the pet is present during stress.
Reducing stress is healthy for your heart and helps avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, overeating, and drinking too much.
5. Owning a pet may help you survive heart disease.
Researchers have studied pets and the risk of dying for people with established heart disease. The CAST (Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial) study found that people who did not own a dog were four times as likely to die compared to dog owners. Similarly, another study found pet owners were more likely to survive a heart attack than non-owners. At one year, 28% of non-owners had died compared to 3% of pet—mostly dog—owners. Experts believe the social support from pets may play a role in survival.
Own a pet for the right reasons.
Keep in mind an association between pet ownership and heart health doesn’t necessarily mean that pets cause these benefits. It may be pet owners are generally healthier people. Or there may be some other common factor to both pet ownership and better heart health. Taking on the responsibility of owning a pet should come from a love of animals and the desire for companionship. Improving your heart health may just be an extra benefit of having a furry friend.
