Owning a dog reduces the risk of disease Swedish researchers tracked 3.4 million Swedes for 12 years, none of whom had heart disease to begin with. Some of them had dogs, and some of them didn’t. During the 12-year follow-up, the scientists recorded how many people died. After that, the scientists adjusted for relevant factors such as age and gender, which allowed them to calculate the risk of death. The risk of death proved to be 20% lower for dog owners compared to those who did not own a dog. For dog owners who lived alone, these benefits were particularly pronounced: not only was the risk of death reduced by 33%, but the risk of cardiovascular disease was also reduced by 8%. Studies have shown that there are health benefits to living with pets. For example, dog owners are more active and have lower blood pressure. A study published in the journal Scientific Reports adds to the research on cardiovascular disease. Tove Faure, associate professor of epidemiology at Uppsala University, said, “Having a dog could be a very effective intervention. For some people who feel lonely or have an unhealthy lifestyle, this could be a good help.” To conduct the study, the researchers got information from the government about these Swedish residents, including information about birth time, gender, age, health status, marital status and more. Since 2001, Swedish dog owners have had to use ear tattoos or subcutaneous microchips to register their dogs, so the researchers could also check which of the 3.4 million people had dogs. Dog owners were then compared with those who did not have pets: those who had dogs were found to have a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or other causes after 12 years. The exact reason behind the results is unclear: it may be that dog owners live longer because dogs make them more active or less stressed. People who live alone may benefit more because they are the only ones caring for the dog, so they are forced to take the dog out for walks. People who are single may also get stronger emotional support from their dogs because they don’t live with a partner and don’t have children. Of course, the study has obvious limitations: even though the researchers adjusted their estimates for factors such as income and education, there was still much they didn’t know about the study participants. For example, people who owned dogs had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, probably because they were healthier to begin with. Also, having a dog is time-consuming and expensive, so if you’re dealing with an important health issue and living alone, maybe you’d think twice about it. One more thing, the study subjects were all from Sweden, and the results may have been different in different countries.
