Everyone who reads this blog probably feels that pets, though they can be a lot of work and responsibility, make our lives better in the long run. But it probably doesn’t occur to us that they can be good for our physical and mental health – in measurable ways. (Hey, we’re the ones who brush them, take them to the vet, and make sure they get their meds – not the other way around.)

The National Institute of Health recently started looking into this:

“The general belief is that there are health benefits to owning pets, both in terms of psychological growth and development, as well as physical health benefits,” says Dr. James Griffin, a scientist at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. “But there have been relatively few well-controlled studies.”

Some of these few studies had mixed results, the NIH says. But at meetings last year, researchers also had good news:

· People who’d had heart attacks were more likely to be alive a year later if they owned dogs. (This was probably not because the dogs ran for help if their owners collapsed.)
· Married couples who had dogs showed lower blood pressure and heart rates under stress. (Maybe it’s the belief that the dog will side with you against your spouse.)
· Dog owners get more exercise. (Surprise!)
· Autistic children sometimes respond very well to pets. This article tells how getting a dog caused “enormous changes” for the better in a boy’s behavior.

More research needs to be done. This area has a lot of potential – someday, therapy with specially trained animals may be a mainstream medical treatment, covered by health insurance. Till then, if you’re feeling bad, just try spending some time with your pet.