Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort studies
PubMed 31592726 · doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005554
What was done
Authors searched PubMed and Embase from 1950 to May 24, 2019, for observational studies evaluating baseline dog ownership and subsequent all-cause or cardiovascular mortality. Two independent reviewers extracted data, and pooled relative risks were estimated using a random-effects model.
What was found
Ten studies including 3,837,005 participants (530,515 events; mean follow-up 10.1 years) were analyzed. Dog ownership was associated with a 24% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with non-ownership (relative risk 0.76; 95% CI, 0.67–0.86). In individuals with prior coronary events, dog ownership was associated with a 65% reduction in all-cause mortality (relative risk 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17–0.69; I² = 0%). For cardiovascular mortality, dog ownership was associated with a 31% risk reduction (relative risk 0.69; 95% CI, 0.67–0.71; I² = 5.1%).
Why it matters
This review pools large-scale observational evidence linking dog ownership to reduced all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, showing particularly pronounced associations in individuals with prior coronary disease.
Limits
Included studies were observational, and the pooled analyses were not adjusted for potential confounders such as baseline health status, socioeconomic factors, or physical activity. Causality cannot be established, and details on dog care involvement or ownership duration were not reported.
Cited by
- supports Statistical data indicate that owning a dog makes a person healthier compared to owning a cat.