Is Having a Pet Beneficial to Your Cognitive Health?

During the pandemic, numerous headlines reported on the unprecedented rate of pet adoptions that swept the country. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®), one out of every five households has brought home a dog or cat in the last two years. That's a 250 percent rise from 2019.

According to the ASPCA, about 23 million American households acquired a pet during the COVID-19 crisis, and the majority will not consider rehoming their pet.

This is excellent news for dogs and cats in need of homes, but it's also fantastic news for the 23 million households' cognitive health.

People who own dogs may experience reduced cognitive deterioration as they age, according to a recent study. While previous studies have suggested that the human-animal bond may have health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and stress, says Tiffany Braley, M.D., M.S., lead author of the study, our results suggest pet ownership may also be protective against cognitive decline, especially for long-term owners.

One of the benefits of having a dog, according to Braley, is the increased physical exercise. Having to walk a dog has been shown to improve cognitive wellness.

More research, according to Braley, is needed to completely understand the mechanics of this and other associations. According to the study, the cognitive benefits of long-term pet ownership were greatest for black people, college-educated individuals, and men. However, more research is required to determine why.

Consider acquiring a pet to help halt your cognitive loss while we wait for more research on the subject.

According to Marwan Sabbagh, director of the Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, simply petting an animal can decrease the level of the stress hormone cortisol and boost release of the neurotransmitter serotonin, resulting in lowered blood pressure and heart rate and, possibly, in elevated mood.

This new study demonstrates a cause and effect relationship for cognitive wellness. Stress has been linked to a deterioration in cognitive function. Pets also have a "stress-relieving" impact. As a result, pets have been associated to a reduction in cognitive decline.

Possibilities for Success with Furry Friends

As part of a Medicare beneficiary study project, Braley and her colleagues reviewed the results of cognitive tests given to over 1300 people over the age of 65. Word recall, arithmetic counting, and subtraction were all part of the data.

Over the course of six years, Braley's research found that people who had dogs had worse cognitive ratings than those who did not. Furthermore, those who had a canine companion for more than five years saw a slower cognitive deterioration.