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Good for body Some of the studies show that owning a pet can have very real physical benefits for their owners. These include: * Pet owners have lower blood pressure. It has long been known that the act of stroking a pet can reduce blood pressure. But a study at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that the beneficial effects continue even when the pet is not present. The study, which looked at a group of stockbrokers with hypertension, concluded that just owning a pet can help lower blood pressure -and keep it lower, even in stressful settings. * Pet owners have lower blood cholesterol levels. A study of more than 5,400 people conducted by Australia's Baker Medical Research Institute found that pet owners had not only lower blood pressure, but also lower levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides in comparison to the non-pet owners, reducing the risk of heart disease. * Pet owners have a higher survival rate after serious illness. Two studies have found that heart attack patients who owned the pets were significantly more likely to be alive a year after they were discharged from the hospital than those who didn't. What's more, a study conducted at City Hospital in New York found that the presence of a pet affected survival rate even more than having a spouse or friends. Patients in hospitals or nursing homes who have regular visits from their pets have shown to be more receptive to treatment. The need to care for their pet gives them reason to recover and the will to live. * Pet owners have fewer doctors' visits. Studies conducted by Cambridge University in England and at the University of California at Los Angeles have found that pet ownership corresponds to overall improved health and fewer medical care visits. A study of Medicare patients also found that seniors who own dogs go to the doctor less than those who do not. Even the most highly-stressed older dog owners in the study had 21 % fewer physician's visits than non-dog ow

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Many articles present pet ownership as a key to heart health, social support, and long life. In one study last year, researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that married couples who owned pets had a lower heart rate and blood pressure whether at rest or when undergoing stressful tests than those without pets.

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# Senior citizens who own pets actually need less medical attention than those that do not. # Pet owners typically have lower blood pressure than non-pet owners, and one study actually proved that with as little as 10 minutes with a pet can lower blood pressure significantly. # Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than non-owners. # Pet owners have overall better physical health due to exercise with their pets. 70 percent of families surveyed reported an increase in family happiness and fun after acquiring a pet. # Children exposed to pets during their first year of life have a lower frequency of some allergies and asthma. # Children who suffer from autism have more pro social behaviors if they own a pet. # Owning a pet - especially a dog - helps children in families better adjust to the serious illness or death of a parent. # Pets decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation in their owners. # Having a pet may decrease heart attack mortality rates by 3 percent, which translates into 30,000 lives saved annually. # Positive self-esteem in children is enhanced if the child owns a pet. # Children owning pets are more likely to be involved in sports, hobbies, clubs or even chores. # Victims of AIDS who own a pet report less depression and reduced stress levels. # Many groups take therapy pets to visit residents of nursing homes, and the experience has shown to be a very positive one for both the pet and the individual. # The reverse is also true - the life of a pet is usually enhanced if its owner cares for it properly.