American Heart Month – Heart Disease in Humans and Pets

Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for humans both in the U.S. and globally.  Practitioners in both human medicine and veterinary medicine are working diligently to raise public awareness of cardiovascular disease. Regular checkups for both humans and pets could easily spot the early warning signs of heart disease in humans, dogs and cats.

The correlation between both human and pet interaction is strong:

• Prevention and lifestyles are key. Risk factors must remain low and can include ownership of pets.
• Pets provide a positive effect on stress levels, blood pressure and emotional well-being.
• Dog ownership lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality according to an article published in Scientific Reports in November 2017.

Tips for protection from heart disease for people and pets, from the American Heart Association and CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets include:

Get Moving, Get Active

• Humans – Aim for 150 minutes of physical activity per week (that’s only 21 minutes per day!)  You don’t have to do it alone- group classes and buddy activities can make work out time a lot more fun… Read more