Dog ownership may promote cardiometabolic health in U.S. military veterans
Abstract Dog ownership has been associated with reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in civilian epidemiological samples. Associations between dog ownership and cardiometabolic disease were examined in the 2019–2020 wave of the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Dog and cat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38038-4 |
| _version_ | 1797784662299377664 |
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| author | Steven H. Woodward Stephen R. Baldassarri Robert H. Pietrzak |
| author_facet | Steven H. Woodward Stephen R. Baldassarri Robert H. Pietrzak |
| author_sort | Steven H. Woodward |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Dog ownership has been associated with reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in civilian epidemiological samples. Associations between dog ownership and cardiometabolic disease were examined in the 2019–2020 wave of the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Dog and cat ownership data were obtained from 3078 Veterans and cross-tabulated with self-reported, professionally diagnosed, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. In unadjusted tests, dog ownership was associated with lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, while cat ownership was not. Relative to non-owners, dog owners were younger, were more likely to screen positive for posttraumatic stress disorder and/or major depressive disorder, and more active. Binary logistic regression models of associations between dog ownership and cardiometabolic disease were adjusted for age, sex, trauma load, mood disorder, substance abuse, nicotine abuse, and exercise. After adjustment, dog ownership was still associated with lower odds of hypertension and high cholesterol. Dog ownership also interacted with exercise to lower odds of heart disease and attenuated the effect of trauma load on hypertension. Conversely, age interacted with dog ownership such that odds of diabetes and stroke were higher in older Veterans who owned dogs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:43:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e797520e47e64f78b9c9678c6f800080 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:43:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-e797520e47e64f78b9c9678c6f8000802023-07-09T11:14:39ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-07-011311910.1038/s41598-023-38038-4Dog ownership may promote cardiometabolic health in U.S. military veteransSteven H. Woodward0Stephen R. Baldassarri1Robert H. Pietrzak2National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Healthcare SystemSection of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of MedicineClinical Neurosciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare SystemAbstract Dog ownership has been associated with reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in civilian epidemiological samples. Associations between dog ownership and cardiometabolic disease were examined in the 2019–2020 wave of the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Dog and cat ownership data were obtained from 3078 Veterans and cross-tabulated with self-reported, professionally diagnosed, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. In unadjusted tests, dog ownership was associated with lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, while cat ownership was not. Relative to non-owners, dog owners were younger, were more likely to screen positive for posttraumatic stress disorder and/or major depressive disorder, and more active. Binary logistic regression models of associations between dog ownership and cardiometabolic disease were adjusted for age, sex, trauma load, mood disorder, substance abuse, nicotine abuse, and exercise. After adjustment, dog ownership was still associated with lower odds of hypertension and high cholesterol. Dog ownership also interacted with exercise to lower odds of heart disease and attenuated the effect of trauma load on hypertension. Conversely, age interacted with dog ownership such that odds of diabetes and stroke were higher in older Veterans who owned dogs.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38038-4 |
| spellingShingle | Steven H. Woodward Stephen R. Baldassarri Robert H. Pietrzak Dog ownership may promote cardiometabolic health in U.S. military veterans Scientific Reports |
| title | Dog ownership may promote cardiometabolic health in U.S. military veterans |
| title_full | Dog ownership may promote cardiometabolic health in U.S. military veterans |
| title_fullStr | Dog ownership may promote cardiometabolic health in U.S. military veterans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dog ownership may promote cardiometabolic health in U.S. military veterans |
| title_short | Dog ownership may promote cardiometabolic health in U.S. military veterans |
| title_sort | dog ownership may promote cardiometabolic health in u s military veterans |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38038-4 |
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