People are generally aware of the numerous mental health benefits that come with dog ownership These benefits include stress reduction as well as help with anxiety and depression However a new study has revealed an added advantage of owning dogs
According to Mens Journal a recent study conducted in Japan discovered that for adults aged 65 and older owning a dog could potentially decrease the risk of dementia Dementia is a cognitive ailment impacting over 55 million individuals globally
Cow attempts to break out of slaughterhouse Thank God for what happens next
The study was conducted by researchers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology Researchers surveyed over 11000 individuals aged 65 to 84 The survey included questions about pet ownership specifically if the participant had cats dogs or no pets It also delved into their weekly exercise habits encompassing activities such as walking running yoga swimming and cycling performed more than once a week Four years later researchers reevaluated the participants health status and monitored the onset of any dementiarelated symptoms
Dogs offer lower dementia risk than cats
The researchers analyzed the possibility of developing the illness using an odds ratio breakdown Dog owners had a calculated risk of 06 while cat owners stood at 098 risk In comparison individuals without dogs or cats had a risk of 10
Participants with pet dogs tended to leave their homes more regularly fostering greater social interactions with others Consequently this higher social engagement is believed to have a suppressive effect on dementia Moreover dog owners being generally more physically active experience reduced accumulation of brain proteins associated with dementia Exercise also enhances cerebral blood flow stimulates cell growth and supports cell survival contributing to a decreased risk of cognitive decline
Specifically the studys authors note that dog ownership had a suppressive effect on incident disabling dementia after adjusting for background factors during an approximately fouryear followup period They emphasized their findings further sharing that dog owners with an exercise habit and no social isolation had a significantly lower risk of disabling dementia
The study also concluded that caring for a dog could play a role in sustaining physical activity In particular it fosters regular exercise habits and encourages social engagement even amid COVID19 limitations on interactions
Leave a Reply