Cardiovascular Reactivity and the Presence of Pets, Friends, and Spouses: The Truth About Cats and Dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the presence of friends, spouses, and pets on cardiovascular reactivity to psychological and physical stress. METHODS: Cardiovascular reactivity was examined among 240 married couples, half of whom owned a pet. Mental arithmetic and cold pressor were performed in one of four randomly assigned social support conditions: alone, with pet or friend (friend present for non-pet owners), with spouse, with spouse and pet/friend. RESULTS: Relative to people without pets, people with pets had significantly lower heart rate and blood pressure levels during a resting baseline, significantly smaller increases (ie, reactivity) from baseline levels during the mental arithmetic and cold pressor, and faster recovery. Among pet owners, the lowest reactivity and quickest recovery was observed in the pet-present conditions. CONCLUSIONS: People perceive pets as important, supportive parts of their lives, and significant cardiovascular and behavioral benefits are associated with those perceptions.
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A dog's or cat's presence can attenuate cortisol levels and heart rate during psychological challenges.
“Additionally, a dog’s or cat’s presence can attenuate cortisol levels and heart rate during psychological challenges [10,11].”
From The Experience of Teleworking with Dogs and Cats in the United States during COVID-19 (2021) · cites this paper as [10]
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The Relationship Between Companion Animals and Loneliness Among Rural Adolescents
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The feasibility of brief dog-assisted therapy on university students stress levels: the PAwS study
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Effects of Interactions With Animals On Human Psychological Distress
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Biological Predispositions and Individual Differences in Human Attitudes Toward Animals
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Pet attachment and personality type
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Pet Ownership and Human–Animal Interaction in an Aging Population: Rewards and Challenges
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- Authors
- Allen, K.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
- ORCID
- Allen, K.
- Venue
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Published
- 2002-09-01
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 727-739
- ISSN
- 0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
- 1534-7796
- OpenAlex
- W2006272416
- Cited by
- 561
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 29
- FWCI
- 4.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
- Keywords
- cardiovascular reactivity, pet ownership, cats, dogs, social support, spouses, friends, heart rate, blood pressure, stress response, stress recovery, mental arithmetic, cold pressor test, married couples
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Animals, Animals, Domestic, Blood Pressure, Cats, Cognition, Dogs, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Hypertension, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Marriage, Surveys and Questionnaires, Random Allocation, Severity of Illness Index, Social Support, Stress, Psychological, Body Mass Index
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