Page 60 - 15NOV2019E

Owning dogs help heart

patients recover fast

Dog ownership reduces social isolation, improves physical activity, and even lowers
blood pressure, hinting that raising a canine has potential to improve cardiovascular

outcomes in patients, notices tehelka bureau

aising a dog at home may be Swedish National Patient Register. to non dog owners, the risk of death for
linked to better cardiovascu- The patients studied were Swedish heart patients living alone with a pet
lar health in patients recov- residents of 40-85 years of age, who had dog after hospitalization was 33 per cent
ering from heart attack or experienced heart attack or ischemic lower.
R stroke, a study has pointed stroke some time between 2001-2012, the This risk was 15 per cent lower for
out. The study, published in the journal study noted. those living with a partner or child, and
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and The researchers said that compared a canine, compared to those that did not
Outcomes, built on previous research have a pet dog. Nearly 182,000 people
demonstrating how social isolation and were recorded to have had a heart attack
lack of physical activity can negatively The lower risk of death in the study, with almost 6 per cent rais-
impact heart patients. ing dogs.
The researchers from the American linked to raising dogs The lower risk of death associated
Heart Association, sought to find out how could be due to an with raising dogs could be due to an
dog ownership affected health outcomes increase in physical activity, and
based on a large scale analysis of previ- increase in physical decreased chances of depression and
ous studies looking at the relationship. activity, and decreased loneliness, both of which, the researchers
According to the researchers, dog said were connected to dog ownership in
ownership reduced social isolation, chances of depression previous studies.
improved physical activity, and even “We know that social isolation is a
lowered blood pressure, hinting that rais- and loneliness, both of strong risk factor for worse health out-
ing a canine could potentially improve which, the researchers comes and premature death. Previous
cardiovascular outcomes in patients. studies have indicated that dog owners
The researchers compared the health said were connected experience less social isolation and have
outcomes of people who raised dogs, and to dog ownership in more interaction with other people,” said
those that did not after a heart attack or co-author Tove Fall of Uppsala University
stroke, using health data provided by the previous studies in Sweden.

Tehelka / 15 november 2019 60 www.Tehelka.com