People who live alone but have pets are likely to have lower risk of dementia, new study reveals

Having pets is a different joy with its pros and cons. Right from cozy cuddles to becoming a pet parent, the experience is one to treasure. Whether it's a goldfish, a furry dog or even any other animal, each creature brings a different joy. However, Good News Network shared that having pets brings the added benefit of staving off dementia among owners. After research, the JAMA network shared that pet parents who live alone have a lower risk of dementia, thanks to the different species of animals that provide their love and warmth.

Almost 8000 people participated in a study to reveal that pet parents have better cognitive skills even at the age of 50 and above, which greatly contributes to the diagnosis of dementia. The study further added that pet parents have better and prolonged verbal fluency and memory. The study pointed out that the same had to do with loneliness, which is often waved off when people live with pets. The loneliness caused by living alone leads to a reduction in verbal abilities, adding to the risk of dementia. The study also pointed out the difference between aging alone by oneself, which is an added trend, and aging with pets.

The corresponding author of the project, Professor Ciyong Lu, of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, shared his views on the study. He said, “Pet ownership offset the associations between living alone and declining rates in verbal memory and verbal fluency.” He calls it “a significant modifier” in all 3 verbal components—composite verbal cognition, verbal memory, and verbal fluency. The study also highlighted that having a pet made no difference for aged people living with other family members; it solely had a drastic effect on people living alone.

While the JAMA findings focused on people living alone, other long-term research suggests the relationship between pets and cognitive health extends beyond one dataset or region. A separate longitudinal study published in Scientific Reports analyzed data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, tracking adults aged 50 and older over nearly two decades. Researchers found that pet ownership was associated with slower cognitive decline across several domains, including memory and verbal abilities. The study observed that dog owners showed a slower decline in immediate and delayed recall, while cat owners experienced less decline in verbal fluency and delayed memory compared with people who did not own pets.

“These findings suggest that pet ownership may be associated with slower cognitive decline among older adults living alone,” the study added. The study does not point out a direct association between having pets and a reduced risk of dementia among aged people living alone. However, it does emphasize the benefits of the same, which include the added cognitive functions of attention, reasoning, processing, speed, accuracy and so on. So the furry guys are likely to make life much better, not only emotionally but also mentally.

This article originally appeared 2 years ago.