How Dogs Can Help Us Live Longer Healthier Lives
Very Interesting|September/October 2020
Our best friends’ biology could unlock the secret to ageing well
Andy Ridgway
How Dogs Can Help Us Live Longer Healthier Lives

How would you react if someone told you that just taking some pills or having an injection could add 20 years to your life? And not only that, but those extra two decades would be healthy years? You probably wouldn’t believe them.

But for the past few decades, research has been taking place to understand exactly what happens when we age and what drives those changes. While the effects of ageing have always been abundantly clear, what’s going on inside our bodies that makes those things happen, has not. Now, a new wave of this research into the science of ageing is taking place, not in humans, but in our closest companions – dogs.

While studying dogs may not seem the most obvious way to try and understand human ageing, our furry friends can actually give us insights into our biology. Dogs share our homes, so they are exposed to many of the same factors that influence how well we age. But they also age much faster than we do – providing scientists with an accelerated view of the processes. There’s another important factor too. When you put the fur and four legs to one side, dogs and humans are much more alike than you might think.

It’s why several large research projects have sprung up in the past few years that are seeking to understand how dogs age – not only to help them but for us too. One of the most recent additions to the pack is the Dog Aging Project in the US, which, since its launch in November 2019, has recruited 80,000 canine participants. The scientists involved with it will soon be picking over the lifestyles and health of these dogs to see what they can uncover.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM VERY INTERESTINGView all
TAKE IT SLOW
Very Interesting

TAKE IT SLOW

Slow running is a fitness trend with some hard and fast science behind it

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
Physics, AI and music share a common thread. You just have to know where to look
Very Interesting

Physics, AI and music share a common thread. You just have to know where to look

Studying science can lead you in many directions and open doors to unexpected possibilities along the way

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
BED BUGS VS THE WORLD
Very Interesting

BED BUGS VS THE WORLD

When bloodthirsty bed bugs made headlines for infesting Paris Fashion Week in 2023, it shone a spotlight on a problem that's been making experts itch for decades: the arms race going on between bed bugs and humans

time-read
10 mins  |
July/August 2024
Kids are the key to understanding obesity. But we need more of their genes...
Very Interesting

Kids are the key to understanding obesity. But we need more of their genes...

We can unravel the role that bodyweight plays in disease, but we need a bigger, more diverse, sample of genetic material to do so

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
COVID inquiry: What did we learn and what can we do better in future pandemics?
Very Interesting

COVID inquiry: What did we learn and what can we do better in future pandemics?

Masks, social distancing, lockdowns... how effective was the UK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic?

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
One hormone could be the key that unlocks a cure for morning sickness
Very Interesting

One hormone could be the key that unlocks a cure for morning sickness

The nausea and vomiting that, in extreme cases, can endanger mothers and babies might soon be just a memory

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
THE WORLD'S WEIRDEST CREATURES
Very Interesting

THE WORLD'S WEIRDEST CREATURES

Under the sea and upon the land, some animals look - to us - pretty strange...

time-read
8 mins  |
July/August 2024
WHEN MIND AND MACHINE COLLIDE
Very Interesting

WHEN MIND AND MACHINE COLLIDE

First, Elon Musk wanted to make electric cars ubiquitous, then he wanted to make space exploration a private enterprise. Now, with Neuralink, his newest venture, Musk hopes to merge humans and artificial intelligence. Turns out, it might not be such a crazy idea...

time-read
10 mins  |
July/August 2024
COME OUT OF YOUR SHELL
Very Interesting

COME OUT OF YOUR SHELL

Social anxiety is more than just being shy. It's a phobia born out of our evolutionary past. But that raises a puzzling question: why do so many of us fear human interaction when we're supposed to be the most sociable species on the planet?

time-read
8 mins  |
July/August 2024
SPACE ODDITIES
Very Interesting

SPACE ODDITIES

Take a tour of the weirdest spots in the universe, where the 'normal' rules don't apply. Places that squeeze time, blow bubbles and even rain glass... sideways

time-read
6 mins  |
July/August 2024