[123RF]
[123RF]

Older adults who live with a dog face a 48 percent lower risk of developing dementia than those who do not, according to new research from Japan. The findings suggest that dog ownership among the elderly not only improves health outcomes but could also significantly reduce medical and care costs.

A joint research team from Japan's National Institute for Environmental Studies, the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, and the University of Tokyo tracked the health data of 11,200 men and women aged 65 and older who lived in Tokyo in 2016, following them through 2023, the Tokyo Shimbun reported Thursday.

The researchers examined the correlation between dog ownership and dementia onset among the participants. Older adults who kept dogs were 48 percent less likely to develop dementia severe enough to require care services than those who did not.

The research team said the likely explanation is that living with a dog naturally increases physical activity — such as daily walks — along with outdoor engagement and social interaction, all of which may help older adults maintain their health.

The economic benefits were also estimated to be substantial. The research team calculated that dog ownership among the elderly could save approximately 592 billion yen ($3.74 billion) in medical and long-term care costs over four years, equivalent to more than 5 trillion won.

In practice, relatively few older adults in the study owned dogs. Only 8.6 percent of those surveyed lived with a dog, and even when those who said they wanted to own one were included, the figure was limited to 13.4 percent of the total.

The primary reason cited was that many older adults are reluctant to take on a dog out of concern that their own declining health could prevent them from caring for the animal until the end of its life. The findings point to a structural barrier: even though dog ownership may benefit their health, many elderly people find it difficult to make that choice.

Taniguchi Yu, a senior researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies who participated in the study, said many people avoid keeping dogs simply because of their age, but the research shows that living with a dog has the potential to prevent dementia and curb public medical and care expenditures.

Taniguchi added that it would be desirable to build a society where older adults can live with pets without worry — one that establishes systems to ensure dogs are cared for until the end of their lives even when their owners become unable to do so.


sjy@heraldcorp.com