Getting a Pet May Slow Dementia in Older People Who Live Alone

People over 50 who live alone are at high risk of developing dementia. But having a pet may slow rates of cognitive decline, a study has found.

In the latest study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, a team of researchers analyzed data collected from almost 8,000 participants, aged 50 and older, involved in a long-term aging trial taking place in England.

The analysis showed that people living with no one apart from their pets had slower rates of decline in verbal memory and fluency than people living fully alone. But pet ownership did not seem to make a difference to those living with other people.

Because it can be harder for older people to find another person to live with than getting a pet, this move could be a relatively simple change that might improve rates of dementia. But this research has only uncovered an association, and does not prove that having pets caused the slower rate of decline compared to the over-50s who were living fully alone.

As the population ages and life expectancy increases, a major public health issue around the world is the deterioration of cognitive function in older adults. Estimates indicate that the number of people with dementia worldwide will increase from 57 million in 2019 to 153 million in 2050.

"The deterioration of cognitive function not only seriously impairs individuals' well-being but also brings a huge burden to their caregivers, as well as the financial and health systems of society," the authors wrote in the study.

"No effective therapy is currently available to successfully reverse cognitive decline or treat dementia. Thus, identifying high-risk populations and modifiable risk factors is crucial for formulating public health interventions and promoting healthy aging," they said.

Over the past few decades, the proportion of individuals living alone has been on the increase. In the United States, for example, the proportion of single-person households reached almost 30 percent. But recent research has indicated that older adults living alone are at high risk for developing dementia and cognitive decline.

Certain forms of pet ownership—raising cats or dogs, for example—have been associated with reduced loneliness. Nevertheless, the association between pet ownership and the rate of cognitive decline has not been fully explored, while existing findings remain the subject of debate.

In the latest study, researchers used the data from the English aging study to assess verbal memory and fluency.

The scientists found that pet ownership was associated with slower rates of decline in verbal memory and fluency among individuals living alone, but not among those living with others.

The findings suggest that pet ownership may be associated with slower cognitive decline among older adults living alone. But the researchers said further studies are needed to determine whether or not pet ownership can be deemed a causal factor in slowing the rate of cognitive decline in older adults living alone.