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東京都健康長寿医療センターの研究グループが行った調査によれば、65歳以上の1万人以上を対象にした研究結果では、犬を飼っている高齢者は認知症の発症リスクが飼っていない人と比べて4割低かったことが明らかになった。
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この調査は、2016年から20年までのデータを分析し、犬との散歩による運動や地域の人との交流が関連している可能性が示唆された。猫の場合には大きな差はなかった。
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調査対象者は65歳以上の男女1万1194人で、犬を飼っている人は959人（8.6％）、猫を飼っている人は704人（6.3％）であった。
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調査期間中の4年間で認知症を発症した人の割合は5％であり、現在犬や猫を飼っている人は、飼ったことがない人に比べて認知症の発症リスクが低かった。特に犬を飼っている人はそのリスクが4割低かった。
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犬を飼っている高齢者の中で運動習慣や社会的な孤立といった要因を調査した結果、犬を飼っていて定期的な運動習慣がある人や社会的孤立がない人は、認知症の発症リスクが低かった。
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研究グループは、高齢者が犬を散歩させることで運動や社会的な交流の機会が増え、それが認知症のリスク低減につながる可能性を指摘している。
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研究グループは、犬猫飼育率が欧米よりも低い日本での研究結果が欧米でも当てはまるかどうかを検証し、また、犬を飼うことの心理的要因についても検討が必要であると述べている。
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A research group from the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center, led by Director Junji Toba, has compiled a study suggesting that elderly individuals who own dogs have a 40% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who do not own dogs. This study, the first of its kind in Japan, involved the analysis of data from over 10,000 individuals aged 65 and above.
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The research, conducted by collaboration between the center's "Social Participation and Community Health Research Team" and Dr. Yu Taniguchi, a senior researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, focused on residents of Ota Ward from 2016 to 2020. The average age of the participants was 74.2, with a slight majority of 51.5% being female. At the time of the survey, 8.6% of the participants owned dogs, and 6.3% owned cats.
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Over the four-year follow-up period, only 5% of the participants were found to have developed dementia. The study compared the odds ratios (OR) of dementia occurrence between those who currently owned dogs or cats, those who had owned them in the past, and those who had never owned them.
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The results indicated that, when the odds ratio for those who currently did not own dogs or cats was set at 1, the odds ratio for dog owners was 0.6, suggesting a 40% lower risk of dementia. However, owning cats did not show a significant difference. No significant correlation was found between pet ownership and age-related conditions such as hypertension.
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Further analysis of dog owners revealed that those with regular exercise habits had an odds ratio of 0.37 for dementia risk, compared to those without exercise habits. Similarly, those with social connections, indicated by the absence of social isolation, had an odds ratio of 0.41.
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The study did not conclusively identify the factors responsible for the reduced risk of dementia among dog owners. However, the research group suggested in their paper published in the international scientific journal "Preventive Medicine Reports" on October 11th that the positive effects might be linked to increased physical activity and social interactions resulting from walking dogs.
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The research group also highlighted the need to evaluate whether these findings apply to Western societies, where pet ownership rates may differ. In addition, they emphasized the importance of considering the psychological factors associated with owning dogs. It's worth noting that separate research conducted by Professor Kenshi Kikusui and his group at Azabu University's School of Veterinary Medicine in 2019 suggested that dogs possess the ability to empathize with humans.