Dog saves a heart

Each day brings a new stress in our life. The time we spend either escaping it or dealing with it takes a toll.

When thinking of ways to reduce stress in life, usually techniques like meditation, yoga and journaling come to mind. But do they always help? Maybe, you want someone emotionally available for you and what better than looking for a new best friend? While people in your friend circle provide great social support and come with some fabulous benefits, let’s see how our ‘furry friends’- dogs- aid in fighting the deadliest of heart ailments. A report by India Blooms correspondent Sreya Basu

Are you struggling with your cholesterol level going off the charts? Have we ever wondered how come a person, who is not overweight, leads a completely vegetarian diet, does not smoke or drink still manages to have a heart attack?

Today, heart disease is considered to be the number one killer in India. We have to accept the fact that we are becoming a population crippled by laziness- elevator instead of stairs, driving instead of walking- basically, showing a thumbs down to any form of exercise to keep us fit.

Despite the advancement of medicines, there is very little that medicine can do to keep this fatal ailment at bay forever.

Dr. Subhash Sarkar, says, “Heart ailments in India are becoming common like cold and cough, which is not a good sign. If we take industries like the BPO & ITeS, people working in these sectors run a higher risk of heart diseases at a much younger age. This is simply because of a drastic change in diet as well as sleep and exercising schedules; they consume more of fast food, high calorie, fatty food and hence, run a higher risk at a young age.”

According to a recent report by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN, now researchers say India, a country with more than one billion people, will likely account for 60 per cent of heart disease patients worldwide, by 2010. Half of all heart attacks amongst Asian Indian men occur under the age of 50 years and 25 percent under the age of 40, says another study by Medwin Heart Foundation, India.

With such alarming numbers, its best to look for options to walk the safer side. Come to think of it, the solution is not that difficult. A friend is all you need to not only keep you happy, protected and loved but healthy too. Dogs can provide excellent social support, stress relief and other health benefits- perhaps more than people! For those who love animals, it’s almost impossible to stay in a bad mood when a pair of loving puppy eyes meets yours, or when a cuddly dog rubs softly up against your hand. It is estimated that there is a 30% reduction in the risk of having a heart attack in households which have a dog.

According to an Australian study at the School of Population Health at the University of Western Australia, dog owners are 68% more likely to achieve the recommended level of physical activity per week than non-dog owners. The study showed that 61% of dog owners accumulated the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week, compared with 54% of non-owners. (India on the other hand seems to show a completely opposite picture. It is estimated that India has a meager 14% households with pets).

Because exercise is good for stress management and overall health, owning a dog can be credited with increasing these benefits. Dogs will encourage you to go out and exercise. Whether we walk our dogs because they need it, or are more likely to enjoy a walk when we have companionship, dog owners do more exercise than non-pet owners, at least if we live in an urban setting. When we’re out walking, having a dog with us can make us more approachable and give people a reason to stop and talk and increase our social network, which also has great stress management benefits. All these benefits can trim down the amount of tension people experience related to social isolation and lack of social support from people.

According to Sarkar, “Two of the key elements in a healthy life are getting sufficient exercise and reducing stress. People who live a healthy life can reduce the risk of suffering from heart disease simply by owning a pet. It is increasingly clear from scientific research that pets contribute positively in both these areas”.

Heart is fragile. At the end of the day, just exercising and staying fit wouldn’t help entirely. It’s the love and affection from your furry friend that would keep your heart warm and protected.