Cat owners have long known that their furry companions help to relieve their stress and enrich their lives. But reduce cardiovascular risk?

According to research performed at the University of Minnesota's Stroke Institute in Minneapolis, cat owners have a 40% lower risk of having a heart attack and a 30% lower risk of death from other cardiovascular causes as compared to people who have not owned a cat. Likely the result of stress reduction, this benefit was seen during a 10 year observation period of 4,435 study participants.

"For years, we have known that psychological stress and anxiety are related to cardiovascular events, particularly heart attacks," said the lead researcher and Director of the Institute, Dr. Adnan Qureshi. While Dr. Qureshi was not suprised by the link between pet ownership and stress reduction, he was suprised by the magnitude of the of the connection.

Given the significance of this result, the researchers speculate that cat ownership could be a lower-risk and lower-cost alternative than current medical interventions.