According to studies, having a dog as a companion could add years to your life. One study concluded that owning a dog played a role in the survival rates of heart attack victims. In another of these studies, patients were evaluated for a year after admission to the hospital. The researchers found that patients who were alive a year after suffering a heart attack were more likely to have a dog.
In terms of determining the probability of long-term survival of the patient, another study that focused on the main psychological factors that contributed to the recovery of heart disease patients ranked pet ownership at the top. Studies have also shown that dogs can have a calming influence which in turn helps keep blood pressure levels in a healthy range. [1]
Dr Deborah Wells, a psychologist at Queen’s University, Belfast, wrote in the British Journal of Health Psychology that dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol. After reviewing dozens of previous research papers that explored the health benefits of pet ownership, she confirmed that pet owners in general tended to be healthier than the average member of the population.
However, their research suggests that owning a dog produced a more positive influence than owning a cat. In addition to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, she said dog owners suffered fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems. It was also suggested that dogs could aid recovery from serious illnesses, such as heart attacks, and act as an “early warning” to detect an oncoming epileptic seizure. [2]
In fact, the State University of New York at Buffalo conducted a study involving 24 stockbrokers who were taking prescription drugs for high blood pressure. The researchers determined that adding a dog or cat to the lives of stockbrokers helped stabilize and even reduce their stress levels.
In other research conducted by the University of Missouri-Columbia, studies suggest that there are hormonal changes that occur when humans and dogs interact that could help people cope with depression and certain stress-related disorders. Apparently, just taking a few minutes to pet your dog triggers the release of a number of “feel good” hormones in humans, including serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin.
Other studies have shown that the presence of animals, especially dogs, helped reduce people’s anxiety in stressful situations, such as dental surgery. Separate studies reported that walking a dog can not only contribute to a person’s weight loss, but can also be a catalyst for interaction with other people, which can help improve a person’s sense of well-being.
Most studies show that dog therapy is one of the most cost-effective methods of helping people with emotional problems, stating that people living without pets are exposed to “more lingering fears, greater feelings of panic, experience headaches more frequently and take more medications for stress-induced illnesses than pet owners.
In fact, Siskin Hospital in Tennessee has a “Pet Therapy” program to aid in rehabilitation. They state: “The Pet Therapy Program uses carefully selected dogs and cats as an integral part of physical, speech, recreational, and occupational therapies to address treatment goals, including improvement of range of motion, strength, and strength, balance, mobility and sensation. In addition to the physical benefits of pet therapy, patients form a connection with the animal, reducing stress and building self-esteem through unconditional acceptance of animals.” [3]
So the next time you start to feel stressed or overwhelmed, spend some time with your dog, and if you don’t have a dog, you might want to consider getting one. Maybe you can get your doctor to prescribe a dog and have your health insurance pay for it. It’s a joke.
Information sources:
[1] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/11/17/dogs-health.aspx
[2] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6279701.stm