Yes, there have been studies done on this. According to researched published in a journal, "Researchers found that dog ownership was associated with a 24 percent reduced risk of death from any cause among the general public, and a 33 percent lower risk of death among heart attack survivors who live alone."

In another study, it was reported that, "After accounting for factors such as age, other health issues, marital status, the presence of children in the home and income, the researchers found that heart attack survivors who lived alone had a 33 percent lower risk of death in the year after their heart attack if they had a dog, compared with non-dog owners. Among those who did not live alone, the reduction in risk was smaller, at 15 percent."

And, when worse-comes-to-worse, if all else fails, at least you have a cute dog by your side as your built-in best friend.

Haverford College

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