Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/cEdfmTROoPA   If you’ve had a heart attack, living with a dog can lower your risk of dying prematurely by up to 35%.  A Canadian meta-analysis just published in the journal Circulation tabulated the data from more than 3.8 million participants over 10 years.   This large study shows that dog ownership prolongs lives and builds on previous work that credited dogs with reducing cardiovascular disease risk by lowering blood pressure, improving lipid profiles, and reducing stress.     Dogs work their magic by making you work your body.  The physical activity associated with walking them, running after them, and yes, cleaning up after them provides enough beneficial exercise to keep your body’s systems working longer and stronger.   Caroline K. Kramer, MD, PhD Sadia Mehmood, BSc Renée S. Suen.  Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.  Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2019;12:e005554.  https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005554   #Dogs #car