Cats Prevent Heart Attacks
Posted on February 22, 2008 Comments (6)
I suppose some people don’t know how great cats are 🙂 Here is news of a study showing that those with cats are less likely to have heart attacks.
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In the new study, Qureshi’s team analyzed data on 4,435 Americans, aged 30 to 75, who took part in the federal government’s second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, which ran from 1976-1980. According to the data in the survey, 2,435 of the participants either owned a cat or had owned a cat in the past, while the remaining 2,000 had never done so.
Qureshi’s team then tracked rates of death from all causes, including heart and stroke. Cat owners “appeared to have a lower rate of dying from heart attacks” over 10 years of follow-up compared to feline-free folk, Qureshi said. The magnitude of the effect — a 30 percent reduction in heart attack risk — “was a little bit surprising,” he added. “We certainly expected an effect, because we thought that there was a biologically plausible mechanism at work. But the magnitude of the effect was hard to predict.”
This is just one more example of cat power. As we have shown before: cats can be photographers and also protect you from bears.
Have a nice weekend.
Related: The Wonderful Life of a Cat – Cat catches the bus – cats control rats – cats can be curious 🙂 too
6 Responses to “Cats Prevent Heart Attacks”
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February 23rd, 2008 @ 8:13 am
This is awesome. I think I’m going to adopt a cat later. hehehe. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend. 🙂
February 23rd, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
It’s hard to understand how having Cyrus (i.e. Psycho) in our life here at the Hoeg’s is helping my health, but I have always found your blog, John, to deliver good, honest news and commentary. Still, it’s kind of hard to believe… Click on my name to view how the “Cyrus stole Christmas”!
February 26th, 2008 @ 8:35 pm
This is great news! – really it is. It’s all the more reason to love the cute little mammals, don’t you think 🙂
However, I don’t quite understand HOW they prevent heart attacks. Is this attributed to the feel-good factor of having a cat? (i.e. feel good, less stress, less stress-related disease).
And if it’s due to the feel-good factor, then I guess dogs could be included in that equation, couldn’t they? Plus the added health benefit of ‘taking the dog for a walk’.
March 4th, 2008 @ 12:08 pm
Nice story. I read a similar story a few years ago about cats’ purring. Apparently it is good for healing broken bones.
December 2nd, 2008 @ 9:33 pm
This is so cool , I have a cat ( as well as a couple of dogs hehe ), and my pets are a constant source of relaxation and comfort for me.
When I’m sad , frustrated or stressed out I tend to play with my cat and dog and almost immediately I feel a lot better , my mood lifts up , my frustration fades and I feel calmer and more at peace.
November 17th, 2009 @ 11:55 am
your article explaine relation between cat and cancer. But not explaine detail why cat power can reduce of heart attact. I just want to make adition :
those who have a cat would decrease stress and anxiety levels, and ultimately reduce the risk of heart disease. Researchers said that by stroking a cat, it will reduce stress hormone levels in the blood. stress reduction proved to help protect themselves from heart disease and lower blood pressure and heart rate slowed. They added that the type of people who have cats are usually quite free of stress and have a tendency to lower heart disease.