Elderly people living with a pet are less likely to suffer from a decline in their cognitive functions, according to researchers.
- According to a study, the companionship of an animal is associated, among seniors living alone, with “slower rates of decline in verbal cognition, verbal memory and verbal fluency” compared to older adults who do not have no animals.
- On the other hand, no such association exists for seniors living with their spouse or other family members.
- More than 55 million people suffer from dementia worldwide. Alzheimer’s disease, which causes 60 to 70% of cases, is the most common cause of dementia.
They reduce our anxiety, help us create social bonds, stimulate our immune system, lower our blood pressure… It is no longer in doubt that pets like cats or dogs are good for our physical and mental health. According to a new study published in the journal JAMA Network Opentheir presence alongside seniors could even ward off the risk of dementia, which affects more than 55 million people worldwide.
Pet companionship associated with slower cognitive decline in seniors
To reach this conclusion, researchers from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, analyzed data from a cohort of some 8,000 people with an average age of 66 from a large British study on aging carried out over several years. The objective: to determine the potential link between owning one or more pets and the cognitive decline of participants, measured by various tests and questionnaires.
Result, unsurprisingly, the older the seniors were, the worse their cognitive score was. But above all it appeared that the company of an animal was associated, among those living alone, with “slower rates of decline in verbal cognition, verbal memory, and verbal fluency” compared to elderly people who did not have animals. HAS note, however, that such an association did not exist for seniors living with their spouse or other members of their family.
Pets reduce chronic stress and isolation
“These findings suggest that pet ownership may be associated with a lower risk of dementia among older adults living alone, explains researcher Yanzhi Li, lead author of the study, in a communicated. However, randomized clinical trials are needed to determine whether the companionship of an animal actually slows the level of cognitive decline in seniors.”
This is not the first study to show the benefit of pets in preventing the deterioration of cognition in older people. In 2022, American researchers have notably noted that they help to reduce chronic stress and isolation, two factors involved in cognitive decline. Inviting, on this occasion, retirement homes to involve more pets in the activities they offer their residents.