5 Ways Your Dog May Be Improving Your Heart Health!
Have you thanked your dog for improving your heart health? Maybe it is time that you did.
Modern research at the intersection of dog ownership and cardiovascular health suggest that just by bringing a dog into your life, you may be experiencing some major gains in terms of your overall health. Since heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, maybe it is time to take a closer look at the ways that our canine companions may be having a major impact on this important aspect of human health.
#1: Lower Blood Pressure and Heart Rates
One of the most well known and well researched facts about dogs and human cardiovascular health is that dogs lower both blood pressure and heart rates. This effect has been duplicated in numerous scientific studies.
This is both a short term effect (when heart rate and blood pressure are lowered during spending time petting or playing with a canine) and a long term effect (that is, dog owners have a lower average HR and BP than those that don’t have dogs in their lives).
Given that these two factors are key to heart health, we can be thankful for this benefit of dog ownership towards improving our wellbeing and overall health.
#2: Lower Stress Levels and Higher Stress Resiliency
Medical professionals concerned about heart health often talk about stress management as one of the key lifestyle factors to watch out for when trying to lower risk for cardiovascular disease.
This can be understood in two major ways: 1. Lowering baseline stress levels measured by the hormone cortisol in the bloodstream and 2. Increasing resiliency after stressful triggers which means to recover faster after you are triggered by a stressful event.
Research on the human-animal bond has shown that dogs profoundly lower our stress levels in both of these key ways. That is, when hormone levels are measured, people show lower cortisol (the stress hormone) and higher oxytocin (a calming hormone) after time spent with dogs.
And, dog owners appear to be reaping the stress reducing benefits of dog ownership in a cumulative way as well. Research has shown that they have lower levels of stress and higher levels of stress resiliency overall than those who don’t have dogs in their lives.
#3: Lower Levels of Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Although there are only a few studies looking at this aspect of dog ownership and heart health, there is some research that suggests dog ownership helps to promote a heart healthy lipid profile, that is, lower levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides.
Of course, it is important to not overstate this effect, as changes in lifestyle such as a healthier diet and more exercise are likely to have a much bigger effect than dog ownership. Still, it is worth noting this important finding!
Researchers believe that a better lipid profile for dog owners may be due to a combination of several factors, including the next item on our list: Dog owners get more exercise.
#4: Higher Levels of Exercise
Everyone knows that our dogs need exercise, read more here. Of course, so do humans. Unfortunately, getting motivated to incorporate adequate exercise into our lives can be difficult. After all, we are all busy and our modern day schedules don’t seem to leave a lot of room for the extra time and energy we need to stay fit.
Luckily for dog owners, those big brown hopeful eyes at the door when it is time for that daily walk can get us outside to enjoy a walk and some fresh air even when we might rather just sit on the couch and watch the game.
In fact, research has shown that dog owners do get more exercise than their non-dog owning counterparts and several researchers have suggested that this difference may have a significant positive impact on the heart health of people who have dogs in their lives.
#5: Better Recovery from Heart Attack and Stroke
Dogs impact on heart health may be so significant that it is saving lives. In a recent large scale study of patients who suffered heart attack or strokes, researchers found a surprisingly large correlation with better recovery from these cardiac events. The results of the study showed that people who own dogs had significantly higher survival rates after heart attack and stroke, as well as lower levels of re-hospitalization.
Dog lovers don’t really need more reasons to love dogs – their unconditional love, loyalty, and ability to bring us comfort during hard times is enough.
However, just in case you were looking for another reason to spoil your little furry friend with the best toys and best dog food that you can find, the fact that they are helping you stay heart healthy may be just the excuse you are looking for!
