A dog is man’s best friend, and dog lovers will surely attest to that. There is a special bond between man and his dog, and the two most likely share more than just friendship. But, according to a study by researchers in the UK and Sweden, dogs and their owners may also share some maladies.
The study showed that if a dog has diabetes, the owners are more likely to contract type 2 diabetes themselves. And there seems to be no such association between cats and their owners. However, it does not seem surprising for dog owners who are overweight, that their canine pets may also be overweight. This is most likely due to a shared sedentary lifestyle. And being overweight increases the person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is on the rise, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and has affected more than 422 million people worldwide by 2014. It was noted that from 1980 to 2014, the prevalence of diabetes rose from 4.7% to 8.5%. And, from 2000 to 2016, there was a 5% increase in early deaths from the disease. Experts expect diabetes to rise as the global population ages, and obesity becomes more common due to unhealthy lifestyles.
The study used Swedish veterinary records from 2004 to 2006 which identified 208,980 owner-dog pairs, and about 123, 566 owner-cat pairs. The health of these owners were monitored from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2012. Owners with type 2 diabetes were identified from the Swedish National Patient Register, the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, and the Cause of Death Register. The dogs with diabetes were identified by analyzing veterinary insurance records. Details considered were the dog’s breed, sex, and age, and their owner’s natal sex, area of residence, education level, marital status, and income.
The findings showed that people who owned a dog with diabetes had a 38% greater possibility of developing type 2 diabetes as compared to owners whose dogs did not have the disease. The research also discovered that dogs with owners who had diabetes were 28% more likely to get diabetes as well. So it goes both ways. However, factoring in the human age made the results no longer statistically significant. There was no such association between humans and their pet cats.
To further explain the study, note that it was an observational study, and did not dwell really into why this association occurs. And there were several limitations, such as the study was restricted to dog and cat owners who were financially capable of purchasing veterinary insurance. However, the authors of the research study suggested the relationship difference between owners of dogs and owners of cats was the lifestyle discrepancy. Dogs and their owners tend to engage in the same level of physical activity…not so with cats and their owners. When the owner is active, so are the dogs, and when the owner is sedentary, it also affects the dog’s activity. It is a known fact that cats have their own agenda, and their lifestyles are not dictated by their owners.
While the study may not be really comprehensive it suggests that the research can “serve as a sentinel for shared diabetogenic health behaviors and environmental exposures.” So, if a dog is diagnosed with diabetes, it makes sense for the owners to assess their lifestyles to reduce the risk of diabetes.
Knowing that diabetes can be shared by man and his “best friend” should be enough to make us dog-lovers more cautious with our lifestyles. And if you are the type of person that does not really care about your health, well, hopefully you do care about your dog’s health. You never know what other ailments can be shared…so stay safe, and keep your loyal companion safe as well.
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