No matter what kind of dogs, their loyalty and active appearance always can bring pet lovers with love and joy. Their loyalty is indisputable, their companionship is always welcome, they guard for us and even work for us when required.

According to a 2017 scientific study, which looked at 3.4 million Swedes from 2001 to 2012, it seems that our four-legged friends really did reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease among pet owners from 2001 to 2012.

The study concluded that the lower risk of cardiovascular disease among pet owners of hunting breeds is not just due to increased physical activity, but possibly because the dogs increase their owners’ social contact, or by altering the bacterial microbiome in their owners’ guts. Dogs can change the dirt in the home environment, thus exposing people to bacteria they would not encounter.

These effects were also particularly pronounced for those who lived alone. According to Mwenya Mubanga of Uppsala University and lead author of the study, “Compared to single dog owners, others had a 33 percent lower risk of death and an 11 percent lower risk of cardiac arrest.

However, before your heart skips a beat, Tove Fall, senior author of the study, also adds that there may be limitations. It’s possible that the differences between owners and non-owners, which already existed before the dog was bought, could have influenced the results – or that people who are generally more active also tend to get a dog anyway.

It seems that the results are not as clear cut as they initially appear to be, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s okay. Pet owners love dogs for how they make owners feel and, cardiovascular benefits or not, they’ll always be top dog to owners.