Cardiovascular diseases remain among the leading causes of death, with heart disease and stroke accounting for around a quarter of deaths in many countries. Faced with this observation, everyone is looking for concrete ways to protect their hearts.
What if one of these allies was already in your living room, lying at the foot of the couch? A body of research suggests that having a
dog is associated with a lower risk of
cardiovascular disease and even deaths, without researchers being able to assert a perfect cause and effect relationship. Between required walks, reduced stress and emotional connection, this companion could support your heart health much more than you imagine. The figures published in recent years are, for some, quite confusing.
Dog and heart health: what the studies show
In the magazine Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomesthe meta-analysis by Kramer and colleagues pooled 10 studies involving 3.8 million people followed from 1 to 22 years. The result: Dog owners had an approximately 24% reduction in the risk of all-cause death and a 31% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death compared to non-owners, after controlling for numerous factors.
A large Swedish study of more than 330,000 patients after myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke found approximately 21% less all-cause mortality in people with a dog. The effect was particularly strong among those who lived alone or owned highly active breeds, such as hunting dogs, and the association persisted after adjusting for age, income or medical history.
How your dog affects your heart
On a very practical level, a dog forces you to move. Studies show that acquiring a pet of this type significantly increases physical activity and time spent outdoors. Daily walks, games, outings in the rain or in the sun maintain endurance, help control weight, promote a better cholesterol and triglyceride profile, and are often accompanied by lower blood pressure than in people without a dog.
Simple contact also counts. Studies report a drop in blood pressure when a person strokes a dog, linked to an increase in oxytocin, the attachment hormone, and a drop in stress cortisol. In a trial in hypertensive people, owning a dog in addition to treatment with an enzyme-converting enzyme inhibitor better limited increases in blood pressure caused by stress than the drug alone.
Adopting a dog for your heart?
The researchers point out that this benefit also goes through the mind: owners feel less alone, less anxious, more responsible, which promotes more protective behavior for the heart. The American Heart Association considers that owning a dog can be part of a prevention strategy, but specifies that “adopting, rescuing, or purchasing a pet should not be done with the primary goal of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease“.
Between caresses and walks, each moment spent with your dog can become an action for your heart health.