Owning a Dog May Add Years to Your Life, Study Shows

In a 2019 study entitled Dog Ownership and Survival, A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, dog ownership has been linked with decreased cardiovascular risk. Recent reports have suggested an association of dog companionship with lower blood pressure levels, improved lipid profile, and diminished sympathetic responses to stress. However, it is unclear if dog ownership is associated with improved survival as previous studies have yielded inconsistent results. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association of dog ownership with all-cause mortality, with and without prior cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular mortality.