Here’s a new reason dogs may be man’s — and woman’s — best friend: New research shows that canine companionship has a number of significant cardiovascular benefits.

The heart-healthy benefits of dog ownership, detailed in the latest edition of the Harvard Heart Letter, are tied not only to increased levels of exercise from daily walks, but also lower levels of daily stress.

“Research shows that people who have a dog are far more likely to get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week,” says Elizabeth Frates, M.D., assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and an editor of the new report, entitled “Get Healthy, Get a Dog.”

Those findings echo a second recent study, conducted by the American Heart Association, that found dog owners are more active physically, are more likely to stick to daily walking routines, and have greater heart-healthy “social support” than those without pets.

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“Over the last decade or so there have been periodic reports on the association between pet ownership and cardiovascular risk,” notes Glenn N. Levine, a cardiologist with the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Administration Medical Center in Houston, who led the new AHA study examining the influence of pets on heart health.

Most of those studies focused on dogs and heart disease, he explains.

“Not surprisingly, dog owners who walk their dogs are more likely to achieve the recommended level of physical activity than dog owners who do not walk their dogs,” according to the study.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, Americans own about 78.2 million dogs and 86.4 million cats.

Nearly half of American households include dogs, which are the “ultimate exercise partners,” according to the Harvard researchers. “Unlike a human walking buddy, a dog will never choose to grab a cup of coffee instead of going for a brisk walk, no matter how miserable the weather.”

Among the findings of recent research on the health benefits of dog ownership:

• Having a dog is particularly helpful in encouraging physical activity among seniors and others who traditionally get less exercise.
• Walking a dog can also lessen any embarrassment some people may feel about their physical appearance and level of fitness.
• Pets can help you stick with a new habit or adopting a new healthy behavior — such as taking a daily walk.
• A pet’s companionship can enhance a person’s sense of well-being and social connectedness by providing opportunities to meet and interact with other people. This is especially beneficial to older people or others who may feel socially isolated.
• Dog owners have lower blood pressure than non-owners. In fact, just petting a dog has been shown to reduce an owner’s blood pressure and heart rate (to say nothing of the benefit to the dog).

Studies have also shown people with dogs have less “cardiovascular reactivity” when mentally stressed — meaning their heart rate and blood pressure rise less and return to normal more quickly.

Researchers attribute this to a reduction in levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

If you don’t have a dog, because your landlord or work schedule doesn’t allow it, the Harvard researchers suggested offering to take a neighbor’s dog out for a daily jog or volunteering for dog-walking services at a local animal shelter.

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