Association between pet ownership and cardiovascular risks and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
PubMed 31815850 · doi:10.2459/JCM.0000000000000920
What was done
Authors searched nine electronic databases, including PubMed, for studies evaluating associations between pet ownership and cardiovascular risk factors, events, and mortality. From 2,818 screened publications, 26 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis.
What was found
Pet ownership was associated with lower cardiovascular mortality in both unadjusted (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.86) and adjusted analyses (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.97). Cat ownership was associated with reduced adjusted cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.99) but not overall mortality (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.21). Dog ownership showed no significant association with overall or cardiovascular-specific mortality. Overall mortality was reduced in unadjusted analysis (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.87) but not adjusted analysis (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.04 to 3.78). Pet owners had lower heart rate (mean difference -2.32, 95% CI -3.07 to -1.57), mean arterial pressure (mean difference -2.60, 95% CI -4.25 to -0.95), and systolic blood pressure (mean difference -1.69, 95% CI -3.06 to -0.31), with no significant difference for diastolic blood pressure (mean difference -0.23, 95% CI -1.05 to 0.60) or hypertension prevalence.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes evidence indicating pet ownership correlates with reduced cardiovascular mortality and slight improvements in resting hemodynamics.
Limits
The abstract does not provide total participant count, study populations, or follow-up durations. Underlying studies are observational and susceptible to residual confounding, and the adjusted all-cause mortality estimate has an extremely wide confidence interval.
Cited by
- supports Having a strong human bond, a reliable partner, or a pet slows biological aging and is associated with increased longevity compared to being lonely.