Fur real.
Just when you thought dogs couldn’t get any better, a new study has found that having a canine companion as a kid can offer the ulti-mutt protection from an annoying skin condition.
The same benefits did not extend to cat ownership.
The research, published in the journal Allergy, found that babies exposed to pet dogs in their first year of life were less likely to develop eczema if they carried the DNA variant that increases their risk for the condition.
“The most difficult questions I’m asked by parents in clinic are about why their child has eczema and how they can help,” Sara Brown, a dermatologist at the University of Edinburgh’s Institute of Genetics and Cancer, said in a press release.
“We know that genetic make-up affects a child’s risk of developing eczema and previous studies have shown that owning a pet dog may be protective, but this is the first study to show how this may occur at a molecular level.”
Preliminary research suggested a link between eczema and seven lifestyle factors, including pets, siblings, smoking, antibiotics and hygiene.
When they tried to replicate the findings with a much larger group — 255,000 — they came across a surprising twist.
A genetic region that is associated with inflammation was identified as increasing the risk of eczema — but this risk vanished in people who had a childhood pup.
Lab tests suggested that allergens from dogs actually reduced inflammation in skin cells with the risky gene.
Scientists suspect that exposure to a broader range of microbes early in life, whether from dogs or older siblings, may help “train” the immune system to react appropriately, not excessively — a theory sometimes dubbed the “hygiene hypothesis.”
“This study sheds light on why some children develop eczema in response to environmental exposures while others don’t,” said Marie Standl, an epidemiologist at Helmholtz Munich in Germany.
“Not every preventive measure works for everyone — and that’s precisely why gene-environment studies are crucial,” she said. “They help us move toward more personalized, effective prevention strategies.”
However, it’s worth noting that the research focused on how to prevent eczema — not treat it — as pet dander could make eczema even more ruff in kids who already have it.
It’s hardly the first study to link dog ownership to health benefits. A 2019 study out of Sweden linked having a pup to an increase in physical activity and social support, as well as a lower risk of premature death following a heart attack or stroke.
And a 2022 review of pet ownership, heart disease and hypertension found that seniors and kids both seem to experience a reduction in high blood pressure with a pet. Plus, petting a dog has been shown to lower the stress hormone cortisol and increase the feel-good hormone oxytocin.
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