Krittanawong C, et al. – Researchers investigated the potential link between pet ownership and lower cardiovascular disease risk in the US general population. They identified cases of heart failure (HF), coronary artery disease (CAD), systemic hypertension (SH), diabetes mellitus (DM), and stroke from the 1999-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). There were 42,038 NHANES participants; of those, 10,905 (31%) were queried regarding pet ownership. Higher hemoglobin, lower LDL cholesterol, and a lower prevalence of DM, SH, and stroke were observed among pet owners. Findings revealed an independent link of pet ownership (either cat or dog ownership) with a lower prevalence of SH—but not HF, CAD, DM, or stroke—compared with non-owners, after adjusting for potential confounders.