The Feel-Good Way to STOP Heart Disease
Researchers from Sweden studied over 3 million adults for more than 12 years looking for patterns in the risk for heart disease. As they combed through a data, a surprising trend emerged.
People with dogs had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease—and a lower risk of dying—than people who didn’t own dogs!
The benefits were especially great for single people.
Compared to single people without dogs, single people who owned a dog had an 11% reduced risk of having a heart attack—and a 33% reduced risk of death.
According to this study, not all breeds offer the same protection. The researchers found that people who owned dogs that were originally bred for hunting—like terriers and retrievers—had the lowest rates of heart disease.
This is possibly because these dogs are more active, which tends to make their owners more active as well.
There are plenty of good reasons why your dog could help you live longer.
Dog owners tend to have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. They have lower stress levels, and increased serotonin and dopamine levels.
Plus, dogs can also add purpose to your life—at a stage of life when you need it most—because they force you to take care of something other than yourself.
Whatever the reason, the evidence is in, and the results are clear: Having a furry friend is one of the best ways to live a long, happy life.
And I couldn’t think of a more enjoyable one, either.
To a brighter day,
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
