The role of cortisol in the association of canine-companionship with blood pressure, glucose, and lipids: a systematic review

Rathish, D. and Rajapakse, Rpvj and Weerakoon, Kgad

High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev (2021) :

DOI: 10.1007/s40292-021-00469-3

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The dog is known as man’s best friend and canine-companionship is associated with positive effects on cardiovascular health. AIM: We aim to review the role of cortisol in the association of canine-companionship with human blood pressure, glucose and lipid profile. METHODS: Electronic databases, and reference lists of the selected articles were searched for original articles in English which evaluate the role of cortisol in the association of canine-companionship with human blood pressure, glucose and lipid profile. Appropriate tools from the National Institute of Health were used for the quality assessment. RESULTS: Of the 2108 articles included for screening, 6 studies fulfilled the selection criteria. The USA had produced the highest number of studies (50%, 3/6). Pre-post studies (83%, 5/6) were the predominant type, and the overall quality of the selected studies was acceptable. The majority of studies showed a significant reduction of cortisol with dog companionship or therapy (67%, 4/6) along with a significant reduction of heart rate (2/4), systolic blood pressure (1/4), mean arterial blood pressure (1/4), or total cholesterol level (1/4). The role of cortisol in the association of canine-companionship with human blood pressure, glucose and lipid profile was scarcely studied with no studies from lower-middle-income countries, where the disease burden is on the rise. CONCLUSION: A significant reduction of few cardiovascular risk factors was found along with a significant reduction of cortisol in canine companionship in few studies. Future comparative or higher-level studies are essential on the association between canine companionship, cortisol and cardiovascular risk factors, especially in lower-middle-income countries.

Citation

Rathish, D., Rajapakse, R., & Weerakoon, K. (2021). The role of cortisol in the association of canine-companionship with blood pressure, glucose, and lipids: a systematic review. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-021-00469-3 Diabetes, Animal-assisted therapy, Hypertension, Cardiovascular health, Dyslipidaemia

Keywords

• Diabetes
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Hypertension
• Cardiovascular health
• Dyslipidaemia