“Our pets give us so much. They go with us on adventures, comfort us when we’re down, and help us heal when we’re broken. Every day, they remind us that life should be lived in the moment and with enthusiasm. And most importantly, they love us unconditionally—no questions asked.” -Dr. Stephen Sinatra How Our Pets Help & Heal Our Hearts By Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.N., C.N.S., C.B.T. We tend not to think of pets as a natural remedy for what ails us, but I have found that pets, both in my personal life and the lives of my patients, to be nothing less than that. They are indeed natural remedies. They work by healing with unconditional love. I have often stopped in my busy tracks to give thanks for the blessing of a happy family life, and that includes the dogs who have enriched my life as well. During a medical conference lecture several years ago, one of the doctors in the audience asked whether I had any experience on the healing benefits of companion animals. Although I couldn’t quantify the degree of benefit, I said that many patients indeed have told me over the years how comforting their pets have been to them and how they considered their animals a vital part of recovery. Some said they couldn’t wait to come back to their animals following surgery or hospitalization. Medical research supports the healing benefits of companion animals. Specifically, they have been found to: Significantly increase longevity among people with coronary artery disease who have a heart attack. Reduce blood pressure. Enhance the opportunity to meet other people as well as permit people to be alone without being lonely. About Dr. Stephen Sinatra Dr. Stephen Sinatra is a highly respected and sought-after cardiologist whose integrative approach to treating cardiovascular disease has revitalized patients with even the most advanced forms of illness. His expertise is grounded in more than 40 years of clinical practice, research, and study beginning as an attending physician at Manchester Memorial Hospital (Eastern Connecticut Health Network). His career there included nine years as chief of cardiology, 18 years as director of medical education, seven years as director of echocardiography, three years as director of cardiac rehabilitation, and one year as director of the weight reducing program. In 1987, Dr. Sinatra founded the New England Heart Center. Through it, he became a well-known advocate of combining conventional medical treatments for heart disease with complementary nutritional, anti-aging, and psychological therapies. Today Dr. Sinatra is active primarily as an author, speaker, and advisor for the research and development of nutritional supplements. He joined the Healthy Directions family of experts in 1995. Websites:  / /  ======================================= Helping Your Pet Age the Healthiest Way Possible As a cardiologist who’s spent a career helping human patients, I’ve learned a lot of things about aging and how to get the most out of our years. One of them is just how important our pets are to our own health. For example, did you know that heart attack survivors have better recoveries when they come home to a pet? Or that pets help keep our stress hormones in check, which protects us from disease? I’ve also learned that much of what I know to be true about keeping people healthy can be used to help keep pets healthy, too. When Chewie started getting up in years, I made sure she got plenty of omega-3 fatty acids from healthy fish and nutritional supplements, to keep her joints flexible. I also started giving her regular doses of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to support the ability of her cells (especially the ones in her heart) to produce and burn energy. I’d seen incredible results prescribing CoQ10 for my human patients. And though I’m not a veterinarian, I saw a noticeable difference in Chewie, as well. Here at Ageless Paws, it’s my goal to share information like this with you—to help you understand not only the health c