conditions people are dealing with to- day include high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart conditions. One study of 5,741 people was conducted in Mel- bourne, Australia. Researchers found the pet owners had lower levels of blood pres- sure and cholesterol than non-pet-owners, even when both groups made the same poor lifestyle choices including smoking and eating highly processed foods. There are many other studies showing that pet ownership leads to decreased blood pres- sure, cholesterol and triglycerides. Con- trolling the levels of these important health markers leads to decreased risk of heart attack and stroke. Mul- tiple studies have shown that dog owners under- take considerably more physical exercise than cat owners and non- pet owners. Pet ownership after a heart attack has been shown to significantly increase one- year survivorship over non-pet owners.
Frankie...Studying
Pet a dog and you’ll relax How many of you experience mo-
ments of high stress in your lives? If you’re like many people, you probably experi- ence high stress much more than you would like. Research conducted about 30 years ago by Alan Beck of Purdue Univer- sity and Aaron Katcher of the University of Pennsylvania measured what happens physically when a person pets a friendly and familiar dog. They found that a per- son’s blood pressure lowered, their heart rate decreased and their breathing became
more regular. They also noted that muscle tension relaxed. These are all signs of re- laxation. A more recent study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine found the same results and found lower levels of stress hormones such as cortisol – all just from petting a dog. Incredibly these results were seen in 5-24 minutes and without any training or practice.
Feeling depressed? Being a dog and/or cat owner de-
creases the risk of depression for caregiv- ers whose spouse has cancer com- pared to a simi- lar person who does not own a pet according to researchers at Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center. Research- ers at Purdue University have found that pets fulfill many of
Photo: Tom Moorcroft
the same support functions as humans for both adults and children, that pet support, like human support, is associated with less stress and better adjustment and that this relation holds across varied family charac- teristics. Mothers and fathers reported that their pets provided emotional support, social integration, and closeness; while children found pets provided emotional support and a sense of mutual respect and partnership. A study of AIDS patients conducted
by UCLA in 1999 found that pets provide a level of companionship that helped the patients cope with the stress of their ill- ness. The study looked at more than 1,800 patients and found that those who did not
24 September 2010
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