Paras Hemrajani
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Written By: Paras Hemrajani | Updated : November 8, 2019 1:22 PM IST
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Has your last heart attack made you feel like your end is near? Maybe, owning a dog can help in increasing your life span. According to a new study conducted by the American Heart Association in Texas, dog ownership alleviates social isolation and improves physical activity. In the study, researchers studied Swedish residents between the ages of 40 to 85. All participants had suffered from a heart attack or a stroke after 2001. The result of the study showed that the risk of death in heart attack patients decreased by 33 per cent if they own a dog. The study collected data from the Swedish National Patient Register of more than 182,000 heart patients. Out of which only 5 per cent owned a dog and only 6 per cent of all stroke patients owned a dog. This is an observational study, meaning that the connection between dog ownership and increased life expectancy cannot be proved. In order to prove this, a clinical trial would be required. However, the study offers an explanation to the link between dogs and heart health.
Having any pet is known to boost human's well-being and uplift the mood. This is the reason why experts suggest owning a pet to share a bond that's unconditional and eternal. There have been studies which suggest that pets can help improve human's mental health; even for those who are at the risk of having a mental illness. While you'll read how owning dogs can help our health, Dr. Pa Montgomery-Fittz, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, tells how pets, in general, are boon for health.
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According to Uppsala University in Sweden, who worked with the American Heart Association in this study, lower risk of death shown in the result of the study is because of the amount of physical activity that increases with owning a dog. Also, owning a dog decreases the level of loneliness, which decreases the risk of depression. Depression can slow down recovery. Here is how a dog can improve the heart profile of an individual.
After a heart attack, the heart becomes weak, and a weak heart cannot deliver oxygen to the different parts of the body. In order to improve the strength of your heart, you need to indulge in physical activities. Physical activities increase the heart rate, decrease the cholesterol level and improve the blood flow in the body. As the blood flow improves, the blood vessels become strong. Keeping a dog is a good motivator for physical activity, which apart from improving the strength of heart is also an important factor in rehabilitation and mental health.
After a stroke or a heart attack, a patient can go into depression. The risk of depression is more for people who live alone. Pets, and especially dogs, are capable of understanding many human words, and can interpret the tone of voice, body language and also gestures. According to the study, a dog provides companionship to older adults and can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. They also reduce a person's sense of loneliness and encourage exercise and playfulness. According to the study, dog owners have a 24 per cent less risk of developing depression as compared to non-dog owners.
