Can Caring for a Pet Protect the Aging Brain?
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Years spent caring for a dog or cat may help mitigate cognitive decline among older adults, new research suggests. In a large study of Medicare beneficiaries, pet owners had slower cognitive decline over 6 years than their peers who did not care for a pet. Previous research has studied the impact of pets on overall health, mood, and quality of life; but to our knowledge, our study is the first to consider the effect of duration of pet ownership on cognitive health in older adults age 65 and older. Although the study could not prove a cause-and-effect relationship, the findings do provide early evidence suggesting that long-term pet ownership may protect against cognitive decline.
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@gurnur If a causal pathway exists between sustained pet ownership and cognitive health, physical activity and chronic stress reduction could each be mechanisms for this relationship.