Personal Injury Law

Cats Feel Your Pain, Lower Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

By Jane Akre

Believe it or not, a controversial study says owning a cat can reduce your risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease. Findings were released by the American Stroke Association meeting in New Orleans. 

The University of Minnesota's Stroke Research Center studied 4,435 people between the ages of 30 and 75.

Those who have never owned a cat had a 40 percent greater risk of heart attack than cat owners. Additionally there was a 30 percent increase in death from cardiovascular diseases among non cat owners.

Dogs did not offer the same relief.

At the same time, owning a dog did not present a lower risk of heart attack.  A pet is believed to lower anxiety and offer stress-relief. Researchers say this study shows owning a pet is a lower-cost alternative to expensive medical intervention and its side effects and gives weight to alternative therapies. 

Beth Birnbaum tells ABC News that suffering from painful fibromyalgia, arthritis and degenerative disk disease has led her to many drugs, but the best therapy came from her adopted cat, Misty. 

"I can't really explain it, the feelings I have in those moments," Birnbaum said. "My pain didn't go away, but it was truly eased."

February is National Cat Health Month and statistics from the American Veterinary Medical Association just released show that Americans own 82 million cats versus 71 million dogs.

More cats end up unwanted in shelters and the AVMA survey shows only five percent are ever reclaimed compared to 15 to 30 percent of dogs. 

And Ally Cat Allies says there are likely as many abandoned, stray and feral cats as owned cats.

Why the stress- relief from cats? It might have something to do with the personality of cat owners as a more low-key type say scientists. Personality of cat owners was not taken into consideration.

"If you believe this research, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you at a very good price," said Dr. Steve Nissen, chairman of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic and immediate past president of the American College of Cardiology. #

Full post as published by InjuryBoard on February 25, 2008 (boomark / email).