Owning a dog beneficial to the health of household members
Swedish researchers have confirmed that owning a dog is extremely beneficial to the health of household members. It is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death. The greatest benefit is for single people.
Researchers at Uppsala University analyzed the medical records of nearly 3.5 million Swedes in between the ages of 40 and 80. The researchers focused on the effect of having a dog at home on the og lne health of the household and mortality rates. Scope of the registry in medical covered a period of 12 years. In analyzing the data, they noted that in owners of ps in less frequent deaths m.In. Due to diseases b cardiovascular system.
In 2001, when the registry began, kt ry used by the researchers for analysis, none of the os b did not have a problem In the cardiovascular nature. Researchers took advantage of the registry in medical and registry in quadrupeds. In Sweden, everyone must have a unique personal identification number, and all hospital visits are registered. On top of that, dog registration is mandatory, making registry data in an excellent case study for this type of experiment. According to the researchers, the results can be uog lnfer to all other countries with a similar culture in relation to ps .
The results of the analysis clearly indicate that owners of quadrupeds are less likely to die from disease-related causes b cardiovascular. The biggest benefits are for single people. – A very interesting finding in our study was that having a dog especially lnie well seen as a protective factor in wasps b living alone. This group of people b more at risk of cardiovascular disease and death than those living in multi-person households – explained the co study author Mwenya Mubanga.
– The results showed that living alone owners of ps , in cf in relation to os b single people without quadrupeds , they had a 33 percent lower risk of death and an 11 percent. lower risk of developing diseases b cardiovascular – admitted Mubanga. Interestingly, greater health benefits were observed in dog owners In dogs originally bred for hunting.
It should be noted that the researchers observed a correlation between dog ownership and health benefits. This does not mean, however, that researchers have figured out the reasons for this, although they have several explanations. – We know that owners of ps are on og ł more physically active, which may be one explanation for the observed result – explained Tove Fall, head of the na author of the study.
– Another explanation for our results in can be better well-being and increased contact in a social w os b owning a dog. Health benefits may also come from the effect of a four-legged dog on its owner’s microbiome – added Fall.
But the relationship may be quite the opposite. Perhaps people who re choose to buy a dog, they are inherently more physically active, which affects their better health outcomes. For this, further research is needed. According to the study, having a dog does no harm, and there’s a good chance it helps maintain better health.
The results of the study were published in the prestigious journal „Scientific Reports”.