Is your feline buddy driving you loopy? A recent examine means that proudly owning a cat might truly double your threat of creating schizophrenia-related issues. The examine, revealed within the Schizophrenia Bulletin, analyzed knowledge from over 100 publications spanning 4 a long time and located a hyperlink between having a cat and psychological sickness.
According to the examine, individuals who owned cats earlier than age 25 have been about 2.3 instances extra more likely to be recognized with a schizophrenia-related dysfunction in comparison with these with out feline housemates. “We discovered an affiliation between broadly outlined cat possession and elevated odds of creating schizophrenia-related issues,” the authors wrote.
The offender seems to be Toxoplasma gondii, a sneaky parasite generally carried by cats that may infect unsuspecting people. T. gondii kinds cysts within the mind and has beforehand been linked to neurological modifications and psychological well being points. However, the examine would not show that proudly owning a cat straight causes schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is difficult, and plenty of various things — like your genes and your life experiences — can have an effect on whether or not you develop it. The researchers are simply saying that proudly owning a cat is perhaps one of many many issues that may improve your threat.
