Pet cats and dogs are not just their owners’ family, but they also provide invaluable emotional support and companionship. It’s well known that having pets can help reduce stress and improve one’s overall well-being. Adding to it, a study from Japan has found that people who are 65 years old and above have a lower risk of having dementia, by almost 40 percent, if they have a pet dog. This shows the scientific connection of dog owners and their lowered risk of dementia.
The research was conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology on roughly 12,000 people aged 65 and older who lived in Tokyo, Japan over a period of four years. Participants were surveyed about their pet ownership; they were asked if they had cats, dogs, or no pets. They also reported the types of exercise they engaged in at least twice a week, including walking, running, yoga, swimming, and cycling.
After four years, researchers reassessed their health status, focusing on the development of dementia symptoms.
As per reports, the researchers calculated the risk of developing dementia using an “odds ratio.” While dog owners had a risk factor of 0.6, cat owners had 0.98, whereas those without pets had a baseline risk of 1.0.
Through the study, researchers noted three key points, as highlighted in the study:
• “Dog ownership has a suppressive effect on incident disabling dementia.
• Dog owners with exercise habit and no social isolation have significantly lower risk.
• Whereas cat ownership was not effective for preventing dementia.”
It also was noted that dog owners got out of the house more frequently than those who did not have a pet or owned pet cats. This led to their increased social interactions which reduced their risk of dementia. Also, dog owners had a comparatively more active lifestyle which prevented abnormal protein build-up in their brain– something that is often seen in dementia patients.
The study concluded, “This prospective study revealed that dog ownership had a suppressive effect on incident disabling dementia after adjusting for background factors during an approximately 4-year follow-up period. Specifically, dog owners with an exercise habit and no social isolation had a significantly lower risk of disabling dementia.”
It further read, “Dog care might contribute to the maintenance of physical activity, including having an exercise habit, and social participation even in the face of restrictions to interactions such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Meanwhile, researchers also studied the effect of pet cats on their owners. The researchers examined the link between cat ownership and dementia prevention. Their findings indicated that owning a cat does not significantly reduce the risk of dementia.
Dr. Yu Taniguchi, the lead author of the study, explained that this is likely because cat owners do not walk their cats, nor do cats facilitate social interactions in the same way that dogs do.
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Also, do you own a pet cat or a dog and how has their presence shaped your life? Tell us in the comments section below.
