The unexpected heart healer living in your house

We know that a healthy diet and regular exercise are essential to good heart health. However, there may be something else in your day-to-day routine that’s benefitting your heart in ways you might not suspect.

This “something” typically has four legs, a coat of fur, a wet nose, and wags its tail. Of course, I’m talking about dogs. And a surprising amount of research confirms that there’s something special about the connection between humans and their canine companions — especially when it comes to cardiovascular health.

The healing power of man’s best friend

A study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Medical Center back in 2005 reveals how interacting with a dog even for just a few minutes produces multiple physiological changes that benefit the heart.

The researchers randomly assigned 76 patients hospitalized for heart failure into three groups:

  • Group 1: Participants received a visit from a human volunteer accompanied by a dog certified for animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Patients were allowed to touch and interact with the dog.
  • Group 2: Participants were visited by a human volunteer only.
  • Group 3: Participants received no visit.

In the first two groups, each visit lasted just 12 minutes. Various tests were performed immediately before and after the visits to measure factors that characterize heart failure.

Those who received AAT scored significantly better than the other groups in all tests. They also had much more pronounced anxiety relief than the other groups.

One of the co-authors of the study summed up their findings by saying: “This therapy warrants serious consideration as an adjunct to medical therapy in hospitalized heart failure patients. Dogs are a great comfort. They make people happier, calmer, and feel more loved. That is huge when you are scared and not feeling well.”

Loyal guard dog for your heart

No doubt, a dog can be a great comfort and source of encouragement during the healing process, whatever the health challenge might be. And as Dr. Marc Micozzi makes clear in his Heart Attack Prevention and Repair Protocol the companionship of a dog promotes healthy benefits that can help prevent those challenges before they start.

Dr. Micozzi even gives a nod of approval to the American Heart Association for pointing out the many psychological and sociological benefits of dog ownership. According to the AHA, reduced stress and lower heart rate are two of the many benefits of having a beloved pooch waiting for you when you come home.

And Dr. Micozzi adds, “Several other studies show that dogs decrease the body’s reaction to stress. Dog owners appear to have lower heart rates, lower blood pressure, and fewer adrenalin-like hormones. Dog owners also have modestly lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.”

One of the studies cited by Dr. Micozzi even suggests that dog ownership improves survival rates in those who are at high risk of heart attack. Researchers recruited 50 stockbrokers to take medication for high blood pressure. Half of those participants additionally adopted a dog. After six months, testing showed that the new dog owners in the study were distinctly calmer in high stress situations.

But Dr. Micozzi adds this important note: “The researchers found a big difference between dog owners who walked their own dogs versus those who paid others to walk them.” Of course, walking your own dog two or three times every day is also great way to get some exercise, which provides even more heart health benefits.

For more natural, common-sense strategies to keep your heart healthy, check out Dr. Micozzi’s  Heart Attack Prevention and Repair Protocol. You can find out more about this unique learning tool or enroll today, by clicking here.

 

SOURCES

uclahealth.org/pac/Workfiles/volunteering/PACArticle.pdf
Dogs ease anxiety, improve health status of hospitalized heart failure patients
American Heart Association Abstract 2513
November 15, 2005