Evidenced-Based Science: Health Benefits of Pets

The Clinician's Guide to Treating Companion Animal Issues: Addressing Human-Animal Interactions was recently released. The first chapter discusses how science is catching up to what many have believed for centuries: that having animals in our lives is good for our well-being. Dr. Aubrey H. Fine from California Poly State University highlights the health and psychosocial benefits of having pets around from published studies:

Petting an animal causes decreases in blood pressure and / or heart rate

*Eddy (1996), Friedman at al. (1983), Shiloh et al. (2003)

Stroking a pet can lower heart rate

*McGreevy at al. (2005), Vormbrock and Grossberg (1988)

The presence of a pet dog or cat can lower levels of heart rate and blood pressure in stressful situations such as completing mental arithmetic

*Allen, Blascovich, and Mendes (2002)

The risk factor for coronary heart disease was significantly lower for pet owners than non-owners, particularly for males

*Dembicki and Anderson (1996)

Pet owners had significantly lower systolic blood pressure. Pet owners had significantly lower plasma triglycerides

*Jennings (1995)

Walking with a dog increases and enhances the opportunities to initiate and sustain chance conversations with strangers than walking alone

*McNicholas and Collis (2000)

Pets can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation

*e.g., Headey (1998)

Women living entirely alone were lonelier than those living with either pets or other people

*Zasloff and Kidd (1994)

Elderly people with pets have also been shown to have fewer symptoms of depression than those without pets

*Roberts, McBride, Rosenvinge, Stevenage, and Bradshaw (1996)

Interactions with animals can also produce hormonal changes

*Odendall and Meintjes (2003)