It's official: Pets really are good for your health.


According to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, "pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, may be reasonable for reduction in CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk."


However, the authors of the statement also say that "pet adoption, rescue or purchase should not be done for the primary purpose of reducing CVD risk."


The statement takes into account research showing positive effects of pet ownership on heart health. For example, research shows that dog-owners get 54 percent more exercise than pet-free people. Other research shows pets can help lower stress, blood pressure, cholesterol and obesity, and that owning a pet boosts survival among people with heart disease.


However, it's important to note that "it may be simply that healthier people are the ones that have pets, not that having a pet actually leads to or causes reduction in cardiovascular risk," Dr. Glenn N. Levine, M.D., who is a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine, said in a statement. Levine chaired the committee that authored the statement.


Pets can benefit your health beyond just your heart. To find out how, click through the slideshow:





  • May Protect Against Respiratory Infection


    Research in mice presented just last month at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology suggested that dust taken from dog-owning homes could help to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/25/ucsf-dogs-study_n_1625921.html" target="_hplink">protect against respiratory syncytial virus</a> (RSV), which is known to increase asthma risk.

    "Mice fed dust did not exhibit symptoms associated with RSV-mediated airway infection, such as inflammation and mucus production," study researcher Kei Fujimura, of the University of California, San Francisco, said <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/asfm-dhd061312.php" target="_hplink">in a statement</a>. "They also possessed a distinct gastrointestinal bacterial composition compared to animals not fed dust."




  • Make Your Heart Adaptable


    A study published earlier this year in the <em>American Journal of Cardiology</em> shows that for people with chronic diseases, having a pet is linked with the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/pet-heart-health-humans-adaptable_n_1277119.html" target="_hplink">heart's capability to adapt</a> to any number of circumstances that can affect the body (like increasing heartbeat speed during a stressful moment).

    Reuters reported that the <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/14/health-pets-heart-idUSL4E8DE06Y20120214" target="_hplink">people who owned pets</a> had heart rates that changed more than people who didn't own pets -- meaning the heart rates were more adaptable.




  • Lower Workplace Stress


    Bringing Fido to the workplace could help to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/01/bringing-dog-to-work-stress_n_1391420.html" target="_hplink">lower your stress levels</a> <em>and</em> increase your job satisfaction, according to a study in the <em>International Journal of Workplace Health Management</em>.

    "Pet presence may serve as a low-cost, wellness intervention readily available to many organizations and may enhance organizational satisfaction and perceptions of support," study researcher Randolph T. Barker, Ph.D., a professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University, said <a href="http://www.newswise.com/articles/benefits-of-taking-fido-to-work-may-not-be-far-fetched" target="_hplink">in a statement</a>. "Of course, it is important to have policies in place to ensure only friendly, clean and well-behaved pets are present in the workplace," he said.




  • Boost Self-Esteem


    People with pets have more self-esteem and feel less lonely than people without pets, according to a study in the <em>Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</em>.

    The <em>Daily Mail</em> reported that pet-owners are also, generally, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2013854/Why-owning-pet-makes-happier-likely-live-longer.html" target="_hplink">less fearful and more extroverted</a> than their non pet-owning peers.

    "Pets can serve as important sources of social support, providing many positive psychological and physical benefits for their owners," the researchers <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2011-13783-001/" target="_hplink">wrote in the study</a>.




  • Calm Blood Pressure


    When a person is stressed, the social support that comes from having a pet could help to lower blood pressure, according to a 2001 study in the journal <em>Hypertension</em>.

    The study, conducted by State University of New York at Buffalo researchers, showed that among people who were already taking ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure, having a pet seemed to help to <a href="http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/38/4/815.full" target="_hplink">stabilize blood pressure levels</a> during moments of stress.

    "This study shows that if you have high blood pressure, a pet is very good for you when you're under stress, and pet ownership is especially good for you if you have a limited support system," study researcher Karen Allen, Ph.D., said <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/11/991108085125.htm" target="_hplink">in a statement</a>.




  • Lower Death Risk From Heart Attack


    WebMD reported that <a href="http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20080221/owning-a-cat-good-for-the-heart" target="_hplink">owning a cat</a> is linked with a lower risk of dying after a heart attack, according to a study presented in 2008 at the annual meeting of the American Stroke Association.

    The study, which included almost 4,500 people, showed that owning a cat is linked with a 40 percent lower risk of <a href="http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20080221/owning-a-cat-good-for-the-heart" target="_hplink">death after a heart attack</a> and a 30 percent lower risk of dying from other heart problems like heart failure, heart disease and stroke, WebMD reported.




  • Protect Against Allergies


    Kids' future <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/13/pets.infants.allergies/index.html" target="_hplink">allergy risk</a> goes down if they lived with a pet during infancy, according to a study published last year in the journal <em>Clinical & Experimental Allergy</em>, Health.com reported.

    The researchers told Health.com that they think the protective effect may be because the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/13/pets.infants.allergies/index.html" target="_hplink">immune system is strengthened</a> from the pet-related allergens and bacteria.




  • Ward Off Depression


    Having a pet could protect men with AIDS from <a href="http://www.newswise.com/articles/aids-patients-with-pets-less-depression" target="_hplink">developing depression</a>, according to University of California, Los Angeles research.

    Specifically, depression was three times more likely to be reported by men with AIDS who didn't have pets, compared with those who did have pets, researchers said.

    "Pet ownership among men who have AIDS provides a certain level of companionship that helps them cope better with the stresses of their lives," study researcher Judith Siegel said in a statement. "This is one more study that demonstrates the health benefits that owning a pet can provide."




  • Boost Oxytocin


    Just petting a dog could help to boost levels of the "feel good" hormones <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4625213/ns/health-pet_health/t/puppy-love----its-better-you-think/" target="_hplink">oxytocin and serotonin</a> in your body and decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol, MSNBC reported.

    The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Missouri-Columbia, also showed that just <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4625213/ns/health-pet_health/t/puppy-love----its-better-you-think/" target="_hplink">petting a dog</a> for 15 minutes to a half hour was able to lower blood pressure by 10 percent, MSNBC reported.




  • Dogs Give Major Health Benefits, Cesar Millan


    Pet expert Cesar Millan talks about the many health benefits of owning a dog.