Research

A small study in the US showed that visits from therapeutic dogs lowered anxiety, stress and heart and lung pressure among heart failure patients.

Research going back 25 years shows that pets help to lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety in people. It was discovered that heart attack patients who have pets survive longer than those without pets. And male pet owners benefit more than female pet owners for some reason. It may have something to do with the feeling of a bond or a connection that having a pet fosters - there's a common perception that it's not as easy for a man to emotionally connect with other human beings as it is for a woman, and owning a pet can help.

Pets help to ease people out of their social isolation or shyness, and it's this feeling of connection to others that helps to lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety which impacts on heart disease.

A dog in an urban area has to be walked on a regular basis, and gentle walking is a good recovery tool prescribed by doctors after a heart episode.