*Cat Lovers May Have Better Hearts*

Cat lovers may have better hearts

Cat lovers may have better hearts

By JEANNINE STEIN
LOS ANGELES TIMES

Cat owners are often fiercely loyal to their furry companions and such devotion may be rewarded in a surprising way: Owning a cat may lower one’s risk of dying from a heart attack.Non-cat owners appear to have a 40 percent higher risk of dying from myocardial infarction than those who do have a cat, according to a study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference last month in New Orleans.Researchers examined the data of 4,435 people from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Dogs didn’t factor into the findings because fewer participants owned them.“The big question is,” says lead author Dr. Adnan Qureshi, executive director of the Minnesota Stroke Institute, “is this the direct effect of having a cat or a variable of people who own cats?”

Adds Qureshi: “There isn’t enough evidence to recommend (getting a cat) as a standard practice. But the flip side is that unlike other medical interventions, which have a risk and a cost associated with it, this has minimal risk and isn’t as costly. There’s not much harm to it.”

The above article appeared today in my local newspaper (sunherald).  I couldn’t agree more!

Even if they don’t like a damn thing…lol

Roux

Tags: cats, health, heart benefits, news articles, Nitnoidography, Rouxminations, sunherald