Owning dogs and cats can slow cognitive decline in elderly people living alone.
Living alone – which is the case for about a third of all Americans – is linked to a greater risk of dementia.
But a study of nearly 8,000 people suggests that having a pet could reduce that risk by making people less lonely.
Researchers looked at people living in England over the age of 50 who were asked if they lived with a pet. They were given tests on their memory for words and verbal fluency.
Regularly interacting with a pet can reduce the stress, anxiety and confusion that often comes with living alone, and may increase the risk of dementia
It's normal for verbal memory and speaking skills to deteriorate as we age, but this decline was slower in people who lived alone and had pets.
Dr. Yanzhi Li, who led the research at Sun Yat-sen University in China, said: 'The company of pets can reduce loneliness and increase well-being, while taking dogs for walks can help them meet other people by provides a topic of conversation. .
'Our results showed that pet owners are less likely to be socially isolated than non-pet owners, which is good for the brain and reduces the rate of cognitive decline.
'Dog owners may also get more exercise by going for walks and sleep better after feeling tired from these walks, which could help with cognitive function.
'But any type of pet is calming, relaxing and can relieve stress and anxiety, while caring for and feeding their owners can provide a sense of meaning and purpose, which is very important for brain health.'
While dog owners tend to exercise more, which can also improve brain health in old age, any type of pet could “fully offset” the faster cognitive decline seen in people who live alone.
Of the 7,945 elderly people surveyed in the study, more than a third had pets and almost 27 percent lived alone.
Their verbal memory was tested by giving them a list of words and asking them to remember them, both immediately and with some delay, while verbal fluency was measured by asking people to name as many animal names as possible in one minute.
In people who didn't live with anyone else, the language skills of people with pets declined more slowly, even after taking into account factors that could affect their brain health, such as age, certain medical conditions and exercise levels.
The rate of decline was about the same among pet owners who lived alone as among people with pets who lived with a partner or other people.
It means that simply having a pet can “completely offset” the faster decline in verbal memory and speaking skills seen in people who live alone, who typically have less daily conversation and mental stimulation.
The findings follow previous evidence that having a pet makes people feel less isolated, not to mention the other health benefits of walking a dog every day.
Previous studies have suggested that people with pets are mentally quicker and have better executive function – which helps with planning and problem solving.
But the evidence is mixed and more tests are needed to show that having a pet slows cognitive decline in general, as the current study only tested people on their language skills.
Although the slower decline in thinking skills in pet owners likely means a reduced risk of dementia, this too needs more evidence.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, looked at people who were asked about pet ownership and living conditions and given memory and thinking tests as part of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
Pet ownership was not found to slow cognitive decline in people who lived with others, but only in those who lived alone.
But for these people, the authors say living with an animal is a “simple change” that could be helpful.