Scientists claimed on Monday that owning a dog is good for your mental and physical health, more so even than cats. 

    Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, Dr. Deborah Wells, a senior lecturer at the Canine Behaviour Centre of Queens University, Belfast, found that dog owners have lower cholesterol and blood pressure, fewer minor physical ailments, and are less likely to develop serious medical problems.     

    In a review of dozens of previous studies, Wells found that dogs also seem to aid recovery from serious illnesses, such as heart attacks. One study published in 1995 found that dog owners are more likely, by about 8.6 per cent, to be alive one year after a heart attack than those who do not own a dog.

    Wells said: "It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress. The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner."

    The research found that dogs could also act as "early-warning systems" for more serious illnesses including cancer and epilepsy.

(Agencies)