Federal agents are executing warrants at Twin Cities daycare providers

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Dogs shower their owners with affection and demand walks on a regular basis. And according to medical researchers, a corresponding link between dog ownership and heart health — previously called "probable" by experts — is supported by Swedish data. 

An examination of Sweden's national records — spanning more than 3.4 million people and 12 years — found that registered dog owners had a lower rate of cardiovascular disease and a lower risk of death. 

 on Friday.  

Several years ago, the American Heart Association 

 that pet ownership, "particularly dog ownership," is "probably" associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. But they noted the "scant data" on pet ownership and human heart health in large general populations. 


The researchers in Sweden set out to "clarify the association" between dog ownership and heart health. Unlike previous researchers, they had access to hospital visit data for millions of Swedish citizens, thanks to the public health care system — plus two large databases of dog owners, because dog registration is mandatory in Sweden.

Comparing the records, they found a reduced risk of heart attack, death from cardiovascular disease, and death from any cause among registered dog owners. The trend remained even when controlled for age, sex, education and socioeconomic status, among other factors. 

The researchers note that previous research in Norway and the U.S., working with much smaller pools of data, didn't find a connection between dog ownership and heart health. They suggest that the smaller sample sizes explain the lack of results.

They also acknowledge it's possible that there are other explanations for the link, like some unknown factor that affects both the choice to own a dog and other lifestyle decisions. And the data are not perfect — while dog registration is mandatory, for instance, not all dog owners comply.  

But overall, the researchers say the large Swedish data set provides "the most robust evidence so far of a link between dog ownership and health outcomes." 


"Dog ownership was especially prominent as a protective factor in persons living alone," lead author Mwenya Mubanga said in a 

 released by Uppsala University. "The results showed that single dog owners had a 33% reduction in risk of death and 11% reduction in risk of myocardial infarction [heart attack] during follow-up compared to single non-owners." 


Hunting breeds, like terriers and retrievers, had a particularly strong association with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. 

, a study earlier this year found that dog owners get more exercise than non-dog owners — 22 more minutes of moderate-pace walking a day, on average:


Lifestyle

Health

Researchers looked at hospital visits in Sweden's public health care system and checked them against dog registration records. They found dog owners had lower rates of heart disease.

Dog owners have lower risk of cardiovascular disease, Swedish data suggest

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox