Pets change habits. Having someone to talk to throughout the day, even if it’s not a human being, can exercise your brain’s networks, improve your mood, do your heart good, and even make you fitter — after all, you have to go for a walk. with the pet from time to time.
A study at the University of Michigan, in the United States, found that having pets can even improve cognitive memory. The research was published in the journal Aging and Health in August 2022.
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The experiment, carried out with data from more than 20,000 adults aged over 50, points out that living with an animal for more than five years is enough to show positive results. Participants showed better both short-term and long-term memory compared to people without pets.
The effect was only evident in participants over the age of 65, which is usually when symptoms of dementia begin to appear. Common risk factors for dementia include physical inactivity, isolation, cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety and chronic stress.
The study does not find that the “pet effect” actually exists. It is just an association. The researchers suggest the possibility that people with better cognitive functioning are more likely to keep pets company longer.
The results can also be explained by the mobility required by animals, especially dogs — daily movement influences brain health and the individual’s functional longevity. Previous surveys also suggest that the presence of an animal in the life of an elderly person, for example, can alleviate loneliness and alleviate chronic stress.
Despite the good results, the research from Michigan emphasizes that the impact of the pet on health is not immediate. After all, loneliness depression, for example, doesn’t develop all at once and friendship isn’t built in a single caress session either.
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