(CNN) - Your dog could be literally saving your life.
According to a new study in a Swedish publication, dog ownership is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
The biggest beneficiaries are single people. Their overall risk of death dropped 33 percent and their risk of cardiovascular-related death fell by 36 percent compared to single individuals who did not own a pet.
People who live with others also saw Fido-related benefits, but not as much as the single folks.
Those in multi-person households had an overall risk of death that was 11 percent lower than non-dog-owners, and a 15 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death.
The study found that owners of hunting breeds like terriers, retriever and scent hounds got the most protection, but the study's senior author said that owning any dog was enough to reduce an owner's risk of death.
The study looked at previously self-reported data on nearly 3.5 million Swedes between the ages of 40 and 80.
Copyright 2017 CNN. All rights reserved.
