Several observational studies published last year suggest that your dog or cat could meaningfully reduce your risk of developing dementia, especially if you’re over the age of 50.

Japanese researchers published a study that looked at 11,194 older adults to see whether owning dogs or cats provided a protective effect against dementia.

Compared to those without pets, dog owners were 40 percent less likely to develop dementia over the course of four years. Dog owners who were social or exercised regularly experienced an extra 20 percent decrease in dementia risk.

Chinese researchers published a similar study last year, also looking at the link between pet ownership and cognitive decline among a cohort of 7,495 adults over the age of 50 in the UK.
The participants received psychological tests to assess their memory, verbal fluency, and thinking eight years apart.

Owning a dog was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline among individuals who were living alone.

Source: Charter Research

https://www.charterresearch.com/news/dogs-cats-lower-dementia-risk