Short People — Get Heart Healthy
We all know that size matters when it comes to expected life spans in our dogs. In general, smaller dogs live longer than larger breeds. For example, the Mastiff typically lives 9-11 years while the Chihuahua expects 13-14 years of life. My soft-coated wheaten terriers are also in the nice 13-14 year category, while Dachshunds may live a whopping 17 years!
While small is good in dogs, a new study published in the European Heart Journal found that short people have a 50 percent higher risk for developing heart disease or dying compared with their tall counterparts. This was true for both men and women.
So what do you do if you happen to be a bit vertically challenged? Don’t despair — take action. If you’re shorter, it’s even more important for you to reduce those risk factors for heart disease that you CAN control, like avoiding nicotine, keeping your weight in check, controlling your diet, getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night, and exercising regularly. So don’t worry about your height — worrying is bad for your health. Get Fit As Fido — it won’t make you taller, but it will make you healthier!
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