Dogs May Limit Blood Pressure and Stress

Dogs really could be man's best friend according to new research carried out at the State University of New York, Buffalo.

Dr Karen Allen, leading the research, studied the reactions of 60 men and women to the strain of caring for their spouses, who had all suffered extensive brain injuries. Each of the subjects were themselves suffering from high blood pressure, attributed to the stresses of long-term care.

Half of the group were given a dog to 'look after' for six months. At the end of the period, the other half were also asked to adopt dogs.

At the beginning of the study, blood pressure responses to real-life and laboratory-produced stress were similar in both groups. After six months, the group who had adopted dogs showed significantly lower rises in blood pressure than the control group. After another six months, with all subjects given a dog, blood pressure levels were significantly lower in all subjects with no noticeable difference between the two groups.

Dr Allen has no official explanation for the findings but states "it seems to help to have a little time in your day when someone isn't judging you--when someone is just being with you and sharing your life".

Friday, 10 November 2000