BMJ  2005;331 (26 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7527.0-d

How pets influence owners' health

On page 1252 McNicholas and colleagues discuss the effects that pets might have on their owners' health. Studies in the 1980s suggested many beneficial effects of owning a pet, such as higher survival rates after myocardial infarction, but recent studies have failed to replicate many of these findings. However, pet ownership and health can be viewed in a wider context, say the authors, and discuss the effects that pets can have on wellbeing (physical and mental) and social integration.

Credit: DAN CALLISTER/REX

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Relevant Article

Pet ownership and human health: a brief review of evidence and issues

June McNicholas, Andrew Gilbey, Ann Rennie, Sam Ahmedzai, Jo-Ann Dono, and Elizabeth Ormerod
BMJ 2005 331: 1252-1254. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]