Do you have a dog? Congratulations! It turns out that keeping a dog is linked to improved human heart health, according to research. This is an important discovery given that heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.
While the study focused on dogs and heart disease, it raises the broader question of how pet ownership affects a person’s longevity. Can pets have a positive impact on human health? Many factors indicate that yes!
1. Natural everyday movement
Any person who lives with a pet knows that this cohabitation involves a lot of casual physical activity – like getting up to feed your pet, going to the pet food store, walking.
Reducing prolonged sitting and increasing side activities at home have been shown to prevent health risks.
2. A sense of purpose
At the simplest level, pets can provide “a reason to get up in the morning.”
This has been found to be particularly important for people in poor health, including the elderly, people with long-term mental illness, and chronic illnesses.
According to a survey of older people about the impact of pets on their health, pets may reduce the risk of suicide because they depend on their owners functionally (“I need to feed him or he will die”) and emotionally (“He will be terribly sad” As for me”).
3. Stress Relief
Interactions with pets can reduce everyday stress levels. There is evidence that petting your pet can lower your heart rate, and co-sleeping with your pet can improve sleep quality.
4. Sense of community
Pets can act as a social catalyst, promoting the development of social bonds.
Pets can strengthen social bonds even with people who don’t have pets, as people feel more secure in areas where there are pets. Therefore, pets can provide a sense of community, which has also been shown to increase lifespan.