As an avid dog owner my entire life, I can attest to the fact that animals have a calming influence on us. Except, that is, when you return home and find your favorite couch in tatters. Many are sure that this calming influence has to be good for our health, but how can dogs help heart problems?
Stress is, without a doubt, one of the most devastating situations that we can put ourselves into. Because of this, anything that can calm our stress levels will likely have long term benefits.
In this particular study, researchers knew that pet owners had greater survival rates than non-pet owners if they already had diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, so they looked at how well the heart functioned in pet owners.
They looked at heart rate variability, a marker used to determine the cardiac health of the patient and found that pet owner’s hearts were much more responsive than non-pet owners.
What more could you ask for??