More than 57 percent of American households own pets, according to the U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook published by the American Veterinary Medical Association last week.
Pet owners have less stress, lower blood pressure and fare better after a heart attack, said nurse Erika Friedmann, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.
When did you start studying pets and health?
In the mid-1970s, we studied coronary surgery patients at the University of Maryland. People who owned pets were more likely to be alive one year later than people who didn?t have pets, independent of whether they had other people around to talk to. It didn?t matter how severe their heart disease was.
What?s happening here?
We started looking at the physiological responses to stress, things like blood pressure and stress hormones. The people who had animals around had lower responses to stressor. If you reduce stress, you can slow the progress of chronic disease. It also works for people who like animals and are in the presence of animals.
Isn?t this the same as having a support network of friends?
Social support from other people is good for you and owning a pet is good for you, but they?re not the same. People don?t give the same unconditional kinds of love and support. Pets also act as a kind of social lubricant, making it easier for people to reach out to other people and talk to other people. Having a pet, like walking a dog, has been proven to make you seem more friendly.
