Can Owning a Cat Save Your Life?

Can owning a cat extend your life? The results of a new study show that owning a cat can reduce your chances of having a heart attack by thirty percent.

According to Healthfinder.gov, Dr. Adnan Qureshi, Executive Director of the Minnesota Stroke Institute at the University of Minnesota, conducted a study to follow up on other studies which had shown that pet ownership can reduce stress and may even improve your health.

In the new study, Dr. Adnan Qureshi and his team of researchers, followed 4,435 Americans who took part in the federal government's second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. All of the participants were free from cardiovascular disease when they began the study between the years 1976-1980. The ages of the participants ranged from age 30 to 75 years old. 2,435 of the participants either owned a cat or had owned a cat in the past, while 2,000 of the participants had never owned a cat.

In a ten year follow-up survey, Qureshi's team tracked death rates from all causes, including heart attacks. The results showed that participants who had owned a cat were 30% less likely to die of a heart attack. The researchers even took into account other risk factors for heart disease including age, gender, race, blood pressure and smoking.

The findings of the study were presented February 21, 2008, at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in New Orleans.

Qureshi and his team didn't find a link between dog ownership and a lowered risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular diseases. But that doesn't mean there isn't a connection. There simply weren't enough dog owners among the participants to provide enough statistical data.

Pet ownership in general seems to improve people's health. Holistic-online lists a number of studies that show the health benefits of owning a pet. In a study conducted at City Hospital in New York, it was found that heart patients who owned pets were significantly more likely to be alive a year after they were discharged from the hospital compared to those who didn't own pets.

But before you go out to adopt a pet for the health benefits, remember that owning a pet isn't for everyone. If you are unable, or unwilling, to spend money on veterinary bills, food, and pet supplies, or if you don't have the time to interact with a pet, owning a pet can become more of a stress than a benefit.

Sources:
E.J. Mundell, "Cats Help Shield Owners From Heart Attack", Healthfinder.gov
"Pet Therapy", Holistic-Online