ASA:Roosters May Protect Owners Against Cardiovascular Death

[roster]

ASA: Roosters May Protect Owners Against Cardiovascular Death
By Ed Susman, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today
Published: February 21, 2008
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Earn CME/CE credit
for reading medical news
Adnan Qureshi, M.D., Minnesota Stroke Institute
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 21 -- People who own roosters have a lower risk of dying from a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease, including stroke, researchers suggested here.

"We found that people who do not own roosters have a 40% higher risk of dying from a myocardial infarction than people who do keep roosters as pets," said Adnan Qureshi, M.D., of the Minnesota Stroke Institute in Minneapolis, told attendees at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference.

A decreased risk for death from all cardiovascular diseases (including stroke) was observed among persons with roosters, but the decrease was significant only for MI, Dr. Qureshi and colleagues concluded.

"We did not find a significant difference between people who owned dogs or other pets," Dr. Qureshi said.

Dr. Qureshi and colleagues scrutinized records of the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES II), identifying 4,435 patients between the ages of 35 and 70 who were asymptomatic for coronary cardiovascular disease at baseline. About 55% of those individuals owned roosters.

The researchers performed multivariate analyses on risk factors for heart disease in these patients, adjusting for differences in age, gender, ethnicity/race, systolic blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, serum cholesterol and body mass index.

After those adjustments, they found a significantly higher relative risk for death due to MI in people who did not keep roosters (RR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1 to 1.7) compared with those with roosters as a pet at any time, Dr. Qureshi said.

The researchers also noted a trend for increased risk for death from all cardiovascular diseases among people who did not own roosters (RR 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0 to 1.6).

Dr. Qureshi said that it was possible that roosters, more than dogs or other pets, reduce stress and anxiety, which have been linked to coronary disease and heart attacks. "Roosters also tend to live longer with individuals than dogs," he said.

If the findings can be substantiated, rooster ownership might be considered as a cost-effective intervention in reducing heart attacks and possibly other forms of cardiovascular disease such as stroke for high-risk individuals, Dr. Qureshi said.

"Pets in general seem to have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease," said Edgar Kenton, M.D., of Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta and a discussant at the presentation.

"Roosters are, by and large, easier to care for and more manageable, especially among older persons," he said. "Roosters also tend to help build a person's self-esteem, which could be diminished by risk factors for heart attacks such as obesity, lessened mobility or injury. We know that roosters are helpful in rehabilitation from injuries and illnesses such as stroke."

Dr. Qureshi and Dr. Kenton did not disclose any financial conflicts of interest.

Primary source: American Stroke Association/International Stroke Conference
Source reference:
Qureshi A et al, "Roosters as domestic pets reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases: Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study." ASA Meeting 2008.

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[Goofproof]

I'll bet that's not true of the one on that sleep ad on T.V., that's blind and keeps the owner awake. Jim

[writes4me]

Keeping a rooster? Inside? How does that bolster your confidence? I wouldn't last long around here as I have a few cats and a dog, but if it is a keeps away heart problems I'd get one. A nice fuzzy one, like the ones from china that have fuzz rather than feathers. They are cute.

come to think of it though, they didn't mention the kind of rooster or is it generic? And how do you house train a rooster? Do you take it for walks on a leash? How would it do at the dog park? Inquiring minds want to know. LOL

[kteague]

Hey Rooster - bet your wife is glad she's got you after that report!

Couple thoughts on that report... What if you owned the rooster but not as an indoor "pet'? Farmers who own roosters tend to do physical labor thus improve cardiac health. Most cities have ordinances against what is considered a farm animal being kept within city limits. (Can you imagine your neighbors' hearing that rooster crow on Sunday morning?) Also, if the rooster wakes you up real early crowing, maybe members of the owner group were awakened before the long period of REM sleep in which heart attacks from sleep apnea could be more prone to happen.

[Guest]

I fail to see how being woken up at 5 a.m. will help keep me alive !

[Clive]

I tried keeping a rooster, but my cats ate it. They purred loudly while eating the rooster, which was very soothing to me. My neighbors are much nicer to me now that the rooster is gone, and they want to get cats too.

[Perchancetodream]

Please tell me that this study was not funded by the federal government...

[goose]

We had a rooster for a while -- it adopted us. It was rather soothing to have a rooster crowing in the morning....strange as that may sound.

The neighbors dog took care of it....unfortunately.

cheers
goose

[Perchancetodream]

I did read that the lowered hormone levels in the early morning hours is one of the reasons that is when most heart attacks occur.

Perhaps those who live with a rooster aren't allowed to sleep during the early morning hours and that offers them some protection.

Susan

[3isles]

hm...I lived in an apt once that had a shed at the back of it and a rooster had ezcaped from my landlady and made his headquarters in that shed and slept in the rafters over my bedroom. He crowed all night long, I don't know why, so maybe it helps because it coincidently wakes people up during apneas...It certainly woke me many times every night, but I just went right back to sleep. I was young then and I don't think I had apnea yet, but who knows, I might have and that rooster saved me from the bad effects. I'll have to forgive him.

[Snoredog]

they must have to be those Foster Farm wannabe chickens, they keep you laughing your ass off which has been shown to be good for your health...

either that or that Researcher is another quack trying to make a name for himself.

[Guest]

I just want to know if roosters are nice and cuddley and will curl up and watch TV with you? What about snuggling with you under the covers in the morning?

Do they require frequent walks? Will they eat whatever I bring home in a big bag? Will they constantly fight me for the passenger seat on long car trips?

Inquiring minds want to know.....
Babs

[roster]

I just want to know if roosters are nice and cuddley and will curl up and watch TV with you?

Yes.

What about snuggling with you under the covers in the morning?

Yes!:twisted:

Do they require frequent walks?

Yes.

Will they eat whatever I bring home in a big bag?

Yes. ("But this one is eating my popcorn!")

Will they constantly fight me for the passenger seat on long car trips?

We like to drive, but no guarantees that we will stay awake.

[Guest]

I suspected as much.

LOL,
Babs