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Pet ownership protects against the risks and consequences of coronary heart disease
1Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, IN 47907.
Insights
Pet ownership may lower the risk of coronary heart disease by improving psychosocial factors. Owning pets is also linked to better survival rates after a coronary event, suggesting a protective health effect.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychosocial Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a leading cause of death in the US despite declining mortality rates.
- Beyond physiological factors like hypertension and smoking, psychosocial elements such as anxiety and social isolation contribute to CHD risk.
- Pet ownership is increasingly recognized for its potential to positively impact human health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that pet ownership mitigates coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.
- To examine the association between pet ownership and survival rates following a coronary event.
- To explore the role of psychosocial factors in the relationship between pet ownership and cardiovascular health.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing evidence on the effects of pet ownership on psychological and physiological health indicators.
- Analysis of studies examining the correlation between pet ownership and cardiovascular event outcomes.
- Exploration of the mechanisms through which pet ownership might influence psychosocial risk factors for CHD.
Main Results:
- Pet ownership demonstrates measurable short-term psychological and physiological benefits, including reduced blood pressure and anxiety.
- Evidence suggests pet ownership is associated with improved survival rates after experiencing a coronary event.
- The study posits that pet ownership positively influences psychosocial risk factors, thereby lowering CHD risk and enhancing post-event survival.
Conclusions:
- Pet ownership may serve as a protective factor against coronary heart disease.
- The positive impact of pet ownership on psychosocial well-being could translate to reduced cardiovascular mortality.
- Further research into increasing pet ownership could inform public health strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Abstract:
Despite decreasing coronary heart disease mortality among both men and women, this disease still remains the leading cause of death in the United States. In addition to known physiologic factors, such as hypertension, smoking, and elevated plasma cholesterol, psychosocial factors including anxiety, marital status, and social isolation have been shown to contribute to the risk of coronary heart disease. There is increasing evidence suggesting that pet ownership causes measurable short term psychological and physiological effects in people, including reduction of blood pressure and mitigation of psychological indicators of anxiety. There is also evidence that pet ownership is associated with clinically significant health effects in people, including improved survival after a coronary event. We hypothesize that pet ownership, though its ability to positively influence psychosocial risk factors, results in a lowered risk of coronary heart disease and increased survival after a coronary event if it occurs, and that increased pet ownership would further reduce mortality from coronary heart disease.
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