Table 4.

Clinical recommendations of the American Heart Association for having pets as a method of cardiovascular prevention. Based on [33]

Recommendation	Class	Level
Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, may be reasonable for reduction in CVD risk	IIb	B
Pet adoption, rescue, or purchase should not be done for the primary purpose of reducing CVD risk	III	C

Legend: Class IIb. may/might be reasonable; III, should not be performed/administered/other

Level B, recommendations are based on limited or inconsistent scientific evidence; C, recommendations are based primarily on consensus and expert opinion