People who suffer from heart conditions and cardiovascular disease in general benefit enormously from having a dog by their side, and their life expectancy increases significantly. This is what the study Pet ownership and cardiovascular risk, published in the scientific journal Circulation, has demonstrated with data and experimental tests:

"The fact that dogs compelled their owners to engage in a certain amount of physical activity, which is undoubtedly good for the heart – notes cardiologist Renata Daniele – is an established fact. But now the most advanced research in the field of cardiology is also detecting an increase in the sense of serenity and interest in the surrounding world that the patient gains through the presence of a dog nearby." The study, in fact, confirms the value of pet therapy for heart patients, but also the intimate connection with the quality of life of those who find themselves facing a cardiac condition and have a dog by their side.

Less stress with a dog by your side

Further supporting this thesis is another study presented recently in Dallas at the American Heart Association meeting: researchers from the University of California examined 76 cardiac patients hospitalised in hospital, who were regularly visited by volunteers accompanied by pets. The patients were then assessed – through blood tests – to check cortisol levels, the stress hormone. Close contact with the dogs, their proximity, and the emotional bond formed with the animals reduced the anxiety of these individuals by 24 per cent. And that is not all. The presence of the animals also helped to reduce the emotional impact caused by hospitalisation, alleviating the stress associated with the hospital stay and improving mood.

An Italian experience for cardiac patients

It is precisely from this data that the experience of the cardiology department of the Centro Cuore at the Istituti di ricovero e cura Iseni Sanità of Malpensa draws its inspiration. Since February of this year, they have launched a specific pet therapy programme aimed at cardiac patients, helping them to adopt an abandoned dog in order to improve their own lives and better cope with their illness. To this end, an agreement has been signed with the association Animal's emergency Onlus of Trezzano sul Naviglio, in the province of Milan: patients of the institutes will be able to adopt an abandoned dog free of charge, welcoming it into their family and walking the road to recovery alongside it under the supervision of the hospital's doctors. The association will also act as an intermediary with other centres involved in the adoption of stray dogs across the whole of Italy.

The benefits of having a dog by the side of a cardiac patient are measurable. The cardiologists at the Iseni Institutes have noted a general reduction in blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Not to mention the psychological aspects, the affective bond that forms with the animal, and the mood-boosting benefits that a dog brings to everyday life.

Jack and Lola, from the earthquake to helping those with heart conditions

Jack and Lola are two dogs found abandoned in the aftermath of the recent earthquakes that devastated central Italy. Taken in by a centre in Foligno, a partner of Animal's emergency, they have found a new home and new affection with two cardiac patients. Their new life will bring benefit both to them and to the people who will care for these four-legged foundlings.

The experience of Animal's emergency and the Iseni institutes will undoubtedly also contribute to a new perspective on abandonment and stray animals. Rescuing a dog and adopting it becomes not only a winning choice for an abandoned animal, but also a way to "save your own life" and live it longer and to the fullest.