by Peggy Tee

Created on: September 30, 2009   Last Updated: October 22, 2009

Ever since the first wolf lay down beside one of our two-legged ancestors, both drawn by the heat of fire and the promise of companionship, pets have played a large role in the development of our civilisation. The human-animal bond has a long history and is part of our evolution, as evidenced by a 12,000 year old skeleton found in Israel, its bony hand resting on the skull of a wolf pup. Although studies of the benefits of this interaction are still in their infancy, scientists believe that having pets make us healthier. Dr James Griffin, from the News In Health's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, says that "there is a general belief is that there are health benefits to owning pets, both in terms of psychological growth and development, as well as physical health benefits."

Cardiovascular Health

A study conducted by NIH indicated that from a sample of 421 adults who'd suffered heart attacks, the majority of those still alive the next year were dog owners. This is supported by the results published in the American Journal of Cardiology (Pet ownership and one year survival after acute myocardial infarction in the CAST, Friedmann & Thomas) where dog owners were 8.6 times more likely to be alive after a heart attack than those who did not have a dog as a pet. Another American study indicates that pet owners have lower levels of cholesterol and blood pressure compared to those who don't own cats or dogs.

Physical Exercise

Walking your dog keeps you active and healthy. Dog owners get more exercise and so reap the associated health benefits. Physical activity leads to lessened risk of obesity and greater mobility for older dog owners. According to the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, U.K., (Beneficial effects of pet ownership on some aspects of human health and behaviour, J.A. Serpell), there were significant reductions in the frequency of minor physical ailments such as headaches, colds and dizziness, for both cats and dogs owner one month following their pet acquisition. However dog owners maintained this decrease in overall health problems ten months later; cat owners did not.

Reduce Stress

The health benefits of pet ownership are not restricted to physical improvements. A U.K. study showed that pets can help recently bereaved people in dealing with stress. Pet owners showed fewer physical symptoms of grief, such as crying, compared to non-pet owners. In a separate study, 240 pairs of married couples were

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