If you're looking for a reason to finally adopt a pup, here ya go — a new study suggests it can prolong your life. "Couples lau...
If you're looking for a reason to finally adopt a pup, here ya go — a new study suggests it can prolong your life.
 |
| "Couples laughing together with canines." But seriously, these two (suspending your disbelief that they're real people and not stock models) are likely happier and healthier than you because they have a pup. Photo: ISTOCK |
By Kate Mooney, Metro
In extremely validating news for dog owners — and
compelling evidence for anyone who’s been thinking about adopting a pup —
a new study has found that owning a dog can prolong your life.
[post_ads]The study, published in Scientific Reports, comes out of Sweden, where folks are inherently better at living, or at least invented a word to convince the world so.
Researchers looked at more than 3 million Swedes ages 40
to 80 over a 12 year period and found that the dog owners had a 23
percent reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and a 20
percent lower risk of death by any cause.
And if you live alone, the benefit is even greater: Single
dog owners had a 33 percent reduced risk of death and 11 percent
reduced risk of death from CV compared to single non-dog owners. We take
this to mean you should dog up before you wife up.
The breed was also significant. Those who
owned dogs bred for hunting, including terriers and retrievers, had an
even lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. (You can infer
that the more active the dog, the more active the owner.)
[post_ads_2]
Owners of mutts and pointers were associated with the
lowest overall mortality rates. But hey, any dog is still better than no
dog, so if canis couchus types like pugs and shih tzus are the pups for you, don’t let anybody breed shame you.
“We know that dog owners in general have a higher level of
physical activity, which could be one explanation to the observed
results,” said Tove Fall, senior author of the study. “Other
explanations include an increased well-being and social contacts or
effects of the dog on the bacterial microbiome in the owner." (You can cite this last point whenever somebody gives you flack for sharing a bed with your filthy animal.)
Now go adopt a dog already! It’s for your health. And make it a rescue.
COMMENTS