A study published in the MJA has found no evidence that pet ownership is associated with cardiovascular health benefits. The researchers report that pet owners had higher diastolic blood pressure than those without pets. They comment that it is likely that this increased health risk is linked to other hypertensive risk factors that are only indirectly associated with pet ownership.
Using data from the PATH Through Life Project, a longitudinal study of a random selection of residents living in the ACT region, Parslow and colleagues conducted a survey of 2528 adults aged 40-44 years and 2551 aged 60-64 years.
Participants were asked whether they had a dog, cat, or other pet that they could touch or talk to. Those identifying as pet owners were then asked whether they had one or more dogs, cats, birds, fish or other pets. They were also asked about their level of education, with years of education taken as a measure of socioeconomic status (which has been found to be associated with cardiovascular health).
The survey also included various physical health measures known to be cardiovascular risk factors, such as self-reported height and weight, whether participants had diabetes, and, for cigarette smokers, average number of cigarettes smoked daily.
Respondents were asked to estimate average weekly hours spent performing mild physical activities. They also had their blood pressure taken.
While pet owners and non-pet owners had similar levels of systolic blood pressure, those with pets had significantly higher diastolic blood pressure. Pet owners also had higher BMI and were more likely to smoke. While those with pets undertook more mild physical activity, they continued to have significantly higher diastolic blood pressure after controlling for hypertensive risk factors.
Parslow et al conclude that their study does not support earlier findings that pet ownership provides cardiovascular benefit as assessed by blood pressure.
Commenting that carefully selected and cared for pets can provide many emotional benefits for humans, they note that longitudinally based research on pet ownership and health needs to be conducted before specific cardiovascular health gains can be attributed to owning pets.
Reference
Parslow, R. & Jorm, A. 2003, 'Pet ownership and risk factors for cardiovascular disease: another look', MJA, vol. 179, pp. 466-468.