A new study in the British Medicine Journal (BMJ) based on Swedish pet owners found that people who own a diabetic dog are 38% more likely to have diabetes themselves. No such association was found among cat owners.
The researchers say this is the first study they are aware of that examines the shared risk of type 2 diabetes between dog and cat owners and their pets.
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The study, released December 10, suggests that pet owners with diabetic dogs may share some unhealthy behaviors with their pets. Examples are lack of exercise and poor diet.
The researchers also suggest that a dog that develops diabetes could be a warning sign to that dog’s owner about their own risk of diabetes.
In fact, previous research has linked obesity found in dog owners and their pets. Interestingly, previous studies have also shown that spouses of people with diabetes are also at increased risk of developing diabetes.
Dogs and cats who develop diabetes usually show symptoms similar to humans, such as increased thirst, weight loss and more frequent urination.
There are already about 400 million people in the world with type 2 diabetes. That number is rising, in part due to unhealthy habits and rising obesity.
And speaking of dogs, a 2016 study found that canine diabetes has increased by almost 80% since 2006.
Cats and dogs with diabetes and their owners
The study looked at approximately 175,000 dog owners and 90,000 cat owners (and their dogs and cats) in Sweden, using insurance data from veterinary practices. Their diabetes status was followed over a period of three to six years.
Researchers also considered owner demographics, such as age, gender, education level, and marital status. They also recorded the age, sex, and breed of the cat or dog.
Previous research has found that dogs and their owners are more likely to have similar levels of activity than cats and their owners. Cases in which dogs and cats live under the same roof were not considered separately in the study.
Results: Canine diabetes predicts diabetes in humans
Researchers found that dog owners who had a diabetic dog were 38% more likely to develop diabetes themselves than dog owners who had their dog none had diabetes.
The socioeconomic factors mentioned above did not significantly alter these results, nor did dog breed.
There was no association between diabetes in cat owners and diabetes in their cats.
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As mentioned above, the researchers suggest that diabetic dogs and their owners may share some unhealthy behaviors, such as excessive sedentary behavior. On the other hand, shared environmental pressures could also play a role, including pollutants or other endocrine disrupting chemicals.
“It is possible,” the researchers conclude, “that dogs with diabetes may serve as guardians for shared diabetogenic health behaviors and environmental stresses.”
Recent social and developmental psychology in the News:
- Being grateful, for example by saying hello to strangers, leads to increased feelings of happiness and well-being.
- New research on the benefits of having a cat or of a dog show that teens with pets spend less time alone and feel a greater sense of community.
Study: “ The shared risk of diabetes between dog and cat Owners and their pets: register based cohort study“Authors: Rachel Ann Delicano, Ulf Hammar, Agneta Egenvall, Carri Westgarth, Mwenya Mubanga, Liisa Byberg, Tove Fall, and Beatrice Kennedy.Published in: The BMJRelease date: December 10, 2020DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj .m4337 Photo: by Светлана Бердник via Pixabay
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