Recently a friend sent me an article where a Polarizing Provocateur lightheartedly proposed a comparison between Dog Ownership and statins when it comes to Cardiovascular Disease, citing the observed 24% reduction in all-cause mortality among Dog Owners in THIS STUDY. And I get it…Pied Pipers Peddling Platforms must deliver a steady diet of Clickbait to simultaneously rankle The Establishment and further tribalize The Herd. The same meta-analysis went on to report a robust 31% inverse association between being a “Dog Parent” and cardiovascular death as well. Does this mean we simply need to switch from PCSK9s to canines and from statins to cat-ins? Does the lipid-lowering toolbox belong in the litterbox?
Now you might be thinking, “Isn’t there a ton of potential for confounding variables in this type of study?” And you’d be right…especially since the referenced study apparently didn’t adjust for the litany of factors associated with cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.
So I looked for a different study that might take into account factors such as diabetes, lipid profiles, smoking, marital status, depression, etc., and found THIS ONE. And there was no difference between pet owners and non-owners when it came to incidence of heart failure, coronary disease, diabetes, or stroke. However, there was a significant 33% decrease in hypertension among pet owners (which included dog OR cat…and instantly the blood pressure of strict dog lovers/cat haters just increased)! And yes, they looked at JUST dog ownership and JUST cat ownership as well, and the results were very similar; it was theorized that a furry friend could minimize catecholaminergic excess and chronic stress leading to blood pressure elevations. That’s at least plausible.
However, this study included a fairly young, relatively “healthy” patient population at low risk for cardiovascular disease…so let’s return to the initial reference, since a couple of studies enrolling people with established coronary disease were used in the meta-analysis.
And in the meta-analysis, we find 2 studies that showed non-significant associations between dog ownership and cardiovascular events. The 1995 study reported that dog ownership either resulted in a 98% decrease in cardiovascular events…OR maybe a 26% INCREASE in cardiovascular events…this is a confidence interval wider than the Pacific Ocean. (And when a confidence interval looks like this, you can’t have any confidence at all in the results). The more recent 2011 study showed a similar confidence interval, ranging from 81% fewer events OR 27% greater risk of cardiovascular events. I’m actually more confident that influencers will someday actually start purveying useful information!
So I’m pretty sure this type of data would best be handled with a Pooper Scooper rather than cherry-picked as strong evidence. But I think the underlying assumption is that “everyone loves dogs.” And similarly, there is an assumption among some in the medical community that “everyone needs statins.” (Full disclosure, I have owned multiple dogs in my life, and my Special Boy Choco is featured in the picture above…he is an Absolute Legend).
Well, what about the people who are allergic to dogs? What about the kids who have phobias of dogs because their grandmother was attacked by a dog off-leash when they were toddlers? (That’s my daughter’s unfortunate story). And what about the irresponsible and entitled dog owners who let their off-leash dogs sink their teeth into the thighs of unsuspecting distance runners? (I’ve been attacked 7 or 8 times myself).
The same goes for statins. There are legitimate patient allergies. There are people with concerns about side effects. And there are irresponsible clinicians who unleash Great Dane doses of Atorvastatin on everyone when a toy poodle dose and some Ezetimibe would probably work even better. And then they “blame the patient” for the side effects and get mad at the patients for having the audacity to get bitten.
So this Dog Discussion took a bit of a Rabbit Trail, but here are my takeaways:
- Dogs and statins both have their place. And cats and non-statin therapies also have their place depending on the context.
- Regardless of pet ownership status, having purpose, getting exercise, and feeling a sense of companionship are important factors in optimizing holistic health.
- Dogs and clinicians are both best when they are good-tempered and well-trained. And good dogs and good clinicians just might lead to improved cardiovascular health and quality of life for their owners and patients😊
