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November 2, 2004 |
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In This Issue...
PET POWER A few weeks ago, I saw a TV interview with Bernie Siegel, MD, founder of Exceptional Cancer Patients (ECaP), an advocacy group for people facing cancer and other chronic illnesses, in which he discussed the effects of pets on heart attack victims in Australia. After one year, 6% of the patients who owned a dog had died, compared with a 25% mortality rate in those who did not own a dog. I thought that was a pretty remarkable statistic, especially after he said that someone in Australia calculated that if everyone in Australia were given a dog, it would save $145 million per year in health-care costs. I don't know how that cost compares with the cost of dog food, but it sure sounded impressive. For years, we've all heard about the therapeutic effects of pets in healing, depression and stress reduction. I decided to look at some of the scientific data on how pets affect us. I called Karen Allen, PhD, a research scientist at the School of Public Health at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Allen's work focuses on the effects of pets on human stress reactions. PEOPLE OR PETS Dr. Allen has conducted several studies that address such intriguing questions as...
In one study, Dr. Allen looked at women performing mental arithmetic problems alone... then with their best female friends present... and finally, with their dogs present. Interestingly, with the friends present, the subjects experienced large increases in blood pressure (compared with when they worked alone). However, when the dogs were present, insignificant increases "One study participant suggested that we compare the effect of her dog's presence with the effect of her husband's presence," recalled Dr. Allen. She and her colleagues laughed at the idea at first but then decided to test it out. In this study, in addition to performing mental arithmetic, participants were asked to hold their hands under cold water and endure it to test both "active coping" and "passive coping" responses. Once again, and in both active and passive coping trials, participants experienced dramatic stress responses in the presence of another person versus only slight increases in blood pressure in the presence of a pet. The consistent results led Dr. Allen to conclude that pets clearly are a preferred source of social support. An interesting result of the study was that when the pets and the spouses were both present, the effect of the dogs cancelled out the stress that the presence of spouses generated. PET/PEOPLE PREFERENCE? One valid criticism Dr. Allen encountered was the notion that the pets really had produced no effect at all. Pet owners generally are healthier, happier and better adjusted than those who do not own pets To test whether a pet would affect people who did not previously own one, Dr. Allen designed a study in which half of the participants were randomly selected to adopt a cat or dog from an animal shelter. The study participants, all stockbrokers who lived alone, described their work as extremely stressful. In addition, they all had high blood pressure (greater than 160/100)... and they were all scheduled to begin drug therapy with lisinopril, a medication that successfully reduces resting blood pressure. Once again, participants performed mental arithmetic as the stress provoker, but in addition they were asked to give speeches to imaginary clients whose money they had lost. As predicted, lisinopril lowered the resting blood pressure of all participants. However, while doing the mental arithmetic or giving the speeches, the pet-owning participants' blood pressure increased by less than half of their petless counterparts. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? Dr. Siegel has seen firsthand the extraordinary effects animals can have. "People's physiology, their body chemistry, literally changes when pets are around," he says. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol go down, immune function improves and, perhaps more significantly, serotonin and oxytocin levels increase. These are the same hormones that are elevated in a woman after giving birth, which promote bonding with the new baby. But why do these chemical changes occur? Dr. Siegel thinks that the bottom line is the unconditional acceptance and connection that animals consistently provide. In addition, he notes, the responsibility of pet ownership can give one's life meaning, especially in the absence of other close relationships. "I've worked with cancer patients who literally could not die because they had dogs and cats who had to be taken care of," Siegel says. "These people hung on to life until they were sure that their pets would be provided for." Dr. Siegel explains that an important reason why we feel a close connection to our pets is that they can be incredibly intuitive. Often, if a person were sick in bed, a dog would come and sit beside him/her, whereas if he were just taking a nap, the dog would not show the same level of concern and interest. Animals respond to feelings, to what is really going on with their owners. "Animals have an incredible ability to be completely there and completely devoted," Dr. Siegel says. "How many of us can say that we are totally devoted to someone else's well-being? Animals are, and we respond positively to that." NEXT MEDICAL REVOLUTION ON THE HORIZON Until the 1950s, we just didn't know very much about the major health problems. Perhaps 90% of our scientific studies have come since that time. Now we have the opposite problem. Now we have too many ways to cure cancer... too many ways to cure heart disease... too many ways to deal with strokes... and on and on. Fifty years of research have given us mountains of studies and a wealth of new options to improve our health. The end result is that with so much to read, we're still not sure what to do about our rheumatoid arthritis or hypoglycemia! It's great to have a choice BIG KIDS Winter is almost here, which means that for much of the country the challenge to keep kids active is greater. Need motivation to get your kids involved in physical fun? Need new ideas for feeding them well? Consider this: Obese children face a greater risk of developing heart disease later in life. If your darling is carrying excess pounds, it's more than a vanity issue Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center used echocardiography An enlarged heart doesn't seem to be problematic for elite cyclists that compete in the Tour de France. But in most adults, it's a sign that the heart is overworked and it's a risk factor for a heart attack. Although children are generally too young to die of heart disease, Dr. Kimball explains, it probably will hurt them later in life. An enlarged heart raises the risk of congestive heart failure and arrhythmia. UNDOING THE DAMAGE Fortunately, the damage to the heart appears reversible, says Dr. Kimball. If an obese child loses weight, the heart muscle shrinks. Getting into healthier diet and exercise habits is important, but it's just as vital for the entire family to receive counseling. "Often, if there's an obese child, there are obese parents," says Dr. Kimball. "Achieving better health becomes a family affair." So think twice about the messages you're sending your children. Pack healthful lunches for your kids, give them nutritious snacks and keep them active. Not only will it help them avoid obesity now, it will keep them healthy in the future. Be well,
DREAM BUILDER Many friends of mine have had to change their retirement plans due to the bear market of the past three years. Retirement portfolios have lost 20%, 30%, 50% or more, meaning the timelines for retirement also have been delayed. For those of you who are age 50 or older, there is not a lot of time to recoup your losses. But here's good news. It's still possible to have the type of retirement you've always dreamed about. And I'm going to show you how. Read more. Sources... Pet Power
Big Kids
Required Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than to suggest that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The information and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on information in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. |
