Having a pet can slow cognitive decline in older people

By Jim Leffman via SWNS

Owning pets for more than five years can slow cognitive decline in older people, a new study reveals.

A team at the University of Michigan studied over 1,300 people with an average age of 65 and found that owning a pet long-term staved off aging in the brain.

However the benefits were greater for Black people, college-educated people and men.

The results of the preliminary study are due to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 74th Annual Meeting held in Seattle in April.

Study author Dr. Tiffany Braley of the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, said: "“Prior studies have suggested that the human-animal bond may have health benefits like decreasing blood pressure and stress.

“Our results suggest pet ownership may also be protective against cognitive decline.”

All the study participants had normal cognitive skills at the beginning of the six year study.

Researchers used data from the Health and Retirement Study to look at 1369 people, 53 percent of whom owned pets, and 32 percent were long-term pet owners, defined as those who owned pets for five years or more.

Of study participants, 88 percent were white, 7 percent were Black, 2 percent were Hispanic and 3 percent were of another ethnicity or race.

Researchers used cognitive tests to develop a composite cognitive score for each person, ranging from zero to 27.

The composite score included common tests of subtraction, numeric counting and word recall.

Researchers then compared participants’ composite cognitive scores with years of pet ownership and cognitive function.

Over the six years, cognitive scores decreased at a slower rate in pet owners, with the difference strongest among long-term pet owners.

Taking into account other factors known to affect cognitive function, the study showed that long-term pet owners, on average, had a cognitive composite score that was 1.2 points higher at six years compared to non-pet owners.

The researchers also found that the cognitive benefits associated with longer pet ownership were stronger for Black adults, college-educated adults and men.

Dr. Braley said more research is needed to further explore the possible reasons for these associations.

She added: “As stress can negatively affect cognitive function, the potential stress-buffering effects of pet ownership could provide a plausible reason for our findings.

“A companion animal can also increase physical activity, which could benefit cognitive health.

"That said, more research is needed to confirm our results and identify underlying mechanisms for this association.”

The study did not show what pets people owned or what were the best ones for preventing the brain's decline.