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A research team in Japan has found that living with a dog helps reduce the risk of developing dementia among older adults.
According to the Tokyo Shimbun on August 20, a research team consisting of the National Institute for Environmental Studies, the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Gerontology, and the University of Tokyo analyzed the health data of 11,200 men and women aged 65 and older living in Tokyo from 2016 through 2023 to examine the correlation between dog ownership and the onset of dementia.
The results showed that people who owned dogs had a 48% lower risk of developing dementia requiring care services compared to those who did not.
Based on these findings, the research team estimated that dog ownership alone could save 592 billion yen (approx. 5.24 trillion won) in medical and care service costs over a four-year period.
Although the study showed that dog ownership benefits health, not many older adults actually own dogs.
It appears that quite a few avoid pet ownership out of concern that health issues or other circumstances might make it difficult to continue caring for a dog.
Among the survey participants, 8.6% lived with dogs, and even when adding those who wished to own a dog, the figure reached only 13.4%බ්
Taniguchi Yu, a senior researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, explained, "Many people avoid keeping dogs because they feel they are too old, but this study demonstrates the possibility that living with a dog can prevent dementia and reduce public medical and care services."
He added, "It is desirable to build a system that ensures dogs can receive care until the end of their lives even if it becomes difficult for their owners to keep them, thereby creating a society where older adults can live with companion animals with peace of mind."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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