Thinking of getting a pet? Getting one may be more an issue of need rather than want. Several studies have linked pet ownership with health benefits like reduced stress levels and lowered rates of heart attacks as well as an increased sense of well being. With Purdue University scientist Dr. Alan Beck likening the calming effects of owning a pet to eating chocolate, the real question is, can you afford not to have one?
Pets reduce stress, anxiety, and blood pressure
If your stress levels are through the roof, you might want to consider getting a pet. Research from the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests that spending fifteen to thirty minutes stroking a pet will lower your blood pressure by about ten percent. The petting also releases "feel good" hormones, including serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin. The study, which tracked 100 dog owners and non-dog owners showed that serotonin levels increased after petting the human's own dog, but not when interacting with unfamiliar animals or robotic dogs. This led Purdue University's Dr. Alan Beck to suggest that the calming effect from stroking pets may have a psychological mechanism similar to eating chocolate.
The research also showed reductions in the level of the human stress hormone, cortisol, after petting an animal. High cortisol levels are also responsible for carbohydrate cravings, so having a pet may even help you to lose weight.
This calming effect is not limited to petting dogs or other furry, cuddly animals. Researchers have also noted the same effect when interacting with different species, including a pet boa constrictor. Other studies have shown that even watching fish in an aquarium at the dentist's office can be as relaxing as hypnosis during dental surgery.
Pets prevent heart attacks
A study conducted by the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, found that pet owners have significantly lower risk factors for cardiovascular diseases than those who do not own a pet. In a study that followed 784 pet owners and 4957 non-owners, results showed that systolic blood pressure and plasma triglycerides or fatty cells in the blood are significantly lower in pet owners. This result could not be explained by the participants' socioeconomic profile, smoking habits, or body mass index. Researchers suggest that the lower risk factors could be due to higher levels of exercise reported by the pet owners.
Pets lower heart attack mortality rates
If you have already had a heart attack, owning a pet may help you to live longer. A study conducted by the University of Maryland Hospital showed that dog owners who have suffered from a heart attack are eight times more likely to be alive a year after the attack compared to non-dog owners. This is backed up by a similar study conducted by researchers at the Texas A&M University. The study found that pet owners' heart attack mortality rates fell by 3% compared to non-owners. Researchers Aaron Katcher and James Lynch reported that owning a pet was "the second most important variable" influencing a heart attack victim's long-term survival rates. "Those heart patients who had pets had a far better chance of living than those who did not have pets," they stress.
Pets increase overall health and wellbeing
Pets can also contribute to your overall physical and social wellbeing. Scientists at Cambridge University's Companion Animal Research Group found that new pet owners had significantly less minor health problems as early as the first month of ownership. The findings continued throughout the ten months of the study. Another study showed that dog owners had a significantly better physical quality of life, measured using the World Health Organisation's Quality of Life index.
Other studies found that walking a dog increases a pet owner's social interactions, leading to an increased sense of well-being.
Owning cats or dogs may also reduce allergies in children. A study showed that babies exposed to more than one cat or dog had significantly less allergic reactions at six years old than those with no exposure, or exposure to only one cat or dog.
On the other end of the age spectrum, pet ownership has been linked to higher physical health in older people, as measured by their ability to perform activities of daily living.
With the evidence pointing to the many health benefits that a pet can bring, the question is, can you afford not to have one?