Owning a dog tied to lowering your risk of dying early by 24%, says science

(CNN) Need an excellent reason to add a dog to your life? How about living longer? 
“Our analysis found having a dog is actually protective against dying of any cause,” said Mount
Sinai endocrinologist Dr. Caroline Kramer, lead author of a new systematic review of nearly 70
years of global research published Tuesday in “Circulation,” a journal of the American Heart
Association.The review of the health benefits of man’s best friend analyzed research involving
nearly 4 million people in the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia and
the United Kingdom. 
“Dog ownership was associated with a 24% reduction in all cause mortality,” said Kramer, an
assistant professor in the division of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of
Toronto. 
The meta-analysis found an even bigger benefit for people who had already had a heart attack
or stroke. 
“For those people, having a dog was even more beneficial. They had a 31% reduced risk of
dying from cardiovascular disease,” Kramer said. 
Dogs and surviving illness
A separate study of more than 336,000 Swedish men and women, also published Tuesday in
“Circulation,” likewise found people who owned dogs had better health outcomes after suffering
a major cardiovascular event such as heart attack or stroke.
Heart attacks and stroke are the leading causes of death globally, according to the World Health
Organization. 
The benefit was highest for dog owners who lived alone.
“The most interesting part of this study was that people who lived alone actually seem to get the
greatest benefit in both the heart attack group and the stroke group,” said dog owner Dr. Martha
Gulati, who is the editor-in-chief of CardioSmart.org, the American College of Cardiology’s
patient education platform.
“People who lived with a dog actually had less mortality than people living alone who didn’t
have a dog,” said Gulati, who was not involved in either study. Heart attack survivors living
alone who owned dogs had a 33% lower risk of death compared to people who did not own a
dog. Stroke survivors living alone had a 27% reduced risk of death
“We know that loneliness and social isolation are strong risk factors for premature death and our
hypothesis was that the company of a pet can alleviate that,” said study author Tove Fall, an
associate professor of epidemiology at Uppsala University in Sweden. “Single owners have to do
all the dog walks and we know that physical activity is important in rehabilitation after
a myocardial infarction or stroke,” Fall added.
Observational but significant
Both published studies were observational, meaning that researchers cannot prove that dog
ownership was the direct cause of the increased life expectancy or the better health outcomes
after heart attack and stroke; only a randomized clinical trial could answer those questions.
 
“Is it the dog or is it the behaviors?” Gulati asked. “Is it because you’re exercising or is it
because there is a difference in the type of person who would choose to have a dog versus
somebody who would not? Are they healthier or wealthier? We don’t know those things.” 
The American Heart Association points to studies that found pet owners who walk their dogs got
up to 30 minutes more exercise a day than non-walkers. “There are studies suggesting that
individuals who have dogs have a better cholesterol profile and lower blood pressure,” said
Kramer, who is a dog owner. 
“One study, my favorite, found just the effect of petting a dog can reduce your blood pressure as
much as a medication,” Kramer said.
Other studies suggest dogs provide companionship and affection that can reduce anxiety
and depression. That’s especially important after a major illness, such as a heart attack or stroke.
“We know that if you have depression after a heart attack, you’re more likely to have a poor
outcome,” Gulati said, which is one reason so many hospitals have begun using therapy dogs for
cardiac patients. 
In fact, a number of cardiologists believe in the benefits of dog ownership so much they will
actually prescribe a dog for their patients, if they believe the person can appropriately care for a
pet.
“I know a lot of my patients often say to me after they have a heart attack or stroke, can I even
take care of a dog? They worry because they don’t want to leave the dog alone if something
happens to them,” Gulati said. 
“But if possible, I always encourage them to get a dog,” she said, “perhaps an older dog who
needs to be rescued and not a puppy that will be harder to manage.”
What’s the takeaway?
“While these non-randomized studies cannot ‘prove’ that adopting or owning a dog directly
leads to reduced mortality, these robust findings are certainly at least suggestive of this,” said Dr.
Glenn Levine, chair of the writing group of the American Heart Association’s scientific
statement on pet ownership. 
However, the AHA also says that pet ownership is a caring commitment that comes with certain
financial costs and responsibilities, so “the primary purpose of adopting, rescuing, or purchasing
a pet” should not be to reduce cardiovascular risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, studies show dogs decrease stress and promote relaxation and impact nearly all
stages of our lives. 
“They influence social, emotional and cognitive development in children, promote an active
lifestyle, and have even been able to detect oncoming epileptic seizures or the presence of certain
cancers,” the CDC said. 
Does that mean that even younger people benefit from having a dog? 
“The overall understanding of cardiovascular health is that the earlier that
we implement healthier behaviors, the better,” Kramer said. “So like walking, not smoking. And
I think that maybe dog ownership is part of that.”
WORD BANK:
protective /prəˈtek.tɪv/ ](adj): giúp bảo vệ
endocrinologist /ˌen.doʊ.krɪˈnɑː.lə.dʒɪst/ (n): nhà nội tiết học
systematic /ˌsɪs.təˈmæt.ɪk/ (adj): có hệ thống, toàn diện
associate /əˈsoʊ.ʃi.eɪt/ (v): gắn liền
mortality /mɔːˈtæl.ə.ti/ (n): số lượng tử vong
stroke /stroʊk/ (n): đột quỵ
beneficial /ˌbenɪˈfɪʃl/ (adj): mang lại nhiều lợi ích
cardiovascular /ˌkɑːr.di.oʊˈvæs.kjə.lɚ/ (adj): tim mạch
likewise /ˈlaɪk.waɪz/ (adv): tương tự
loneliness /ˈloʊn.li.nəs/ (n): sự cô đơn
isolation /ˌɑɪ·səˈleɪ·ʃən/ (n): sự cô lập
premature /ˌpriː.məˈtʊr/ (adj): sớm
company /ˈkʌm.pə.ni/ (n): sự đồng hành
alleviate /əˈliː.vi.eɪt/ (v): làm giảm
rehabilitation /ˌri·həˌbɪl·əˈteɪ·ʃən/ (n): hồi phục
myocardial infarction (n): (từ chuyên ngành) đau tim = heart attack
observational /ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃənl/ (adj): mang tính quan sát
life expectancy /ˈlaɪf ɪkspektənsi/ (n): tuổi thọ
medication /ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃn/ (n): liều thuốc
companionship /kəmˈpæn.jən.ʃɪp/ (n): cảm giác bầu bạn
affection /əˈfekʃn/ (n): tình yêu thương
depression /dɪˈpreʃn/ (n): trầm cảm
robust /roʊˈbʌst/ (adj): mạnh mẽ
commitment /kəˈmɪt.mənt/(n): cam kết, trách nhiệm
cognitive /ˈkɒɡ.nə.tɪv/ (adj): nhận thức
seizure /ˈsiː.ʒɚ/ (n – medical terms): động kinh
implement /ˈɪm.plə.ment/ (v): thực hiện
No more ‘ladies and gentlemen’ on Japan Airlines flights
If you’re stepping on a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane anytime next month, chances are you won’t
hear the term “ladies and gentlemen” anymore. Instead, from 1 October, gender-neutral phrases
like “attention all passengers”, or references to passengers as “everyone” will be used, reported
local site the Mainichi. 
JAL is one of a few global airlines to embrace gender-neutral greetings. However, it will
only apply to JAL’s English announcements, AFP said. That is because in Japanese,
the expression generally used for such announcements is already gender-neutral, the agency
added.
JAL’s decision, however, has not made any major waves in Japan. “It is a small deal that most
people do not really care about because this change in announcement in English cannot be
understood nor noticed by almost all the Japanese-speaking passengers,”, Professor Kazuya
Kawaguchi, a sociologist at Hiroshima Shudo University told the BBC.
 
“However, as one of the leading LGBT-friendly enterprises [in Japan]… [their] efforts should
be appreciated and therefore will be and must be a significant step forward to the improvement…
of other LGBT+ issues. I think that it is important for big companies to start good practice[s like
this]… because other medium or small-sized companies tend to follow.” 
JAL follows airlines like Air Canada and EasyJet which adopted gender-neutral greetings last
year. 
In a statement to Reuters, JAL said it wanted to “create a positive atmosphere and treat
everyone… with respect”. “We have committed to not discriminate based on gender…
sexual orientation, gender identity or other personal attributes,” spokesman Mark Morimoto told
the news agency. 
Same-sex marriage is not legally recognised in Japan – though surveys suggest there is strong
support for this. Last year, 13 same-sex couples across Japan took legal action against the
government, demanding the right to get married. 
WORD BANK:
chances are : rất có thể
reference /ˈrefrəns/ : cách gọi , nhắc đến ai
passenger /ˈpæsɪndʒər/ (n): hành khách
gender-neutral /ˌdʒen.dəˈnjuː.trəl/ (adj): không ám chỉ nam hay nữ, trung lập về giới tính
embrace /ɪmˈbreɪs/ (v): chấp nhận
greeting /ˈɡriː.tɪŋ/ (n): lời chào
apply /əˈplaɪ/ (v): áp dụng cho
expression /ɪkˈspreʃn/ (n): cụm từ
notice /ˈnəʊ.tɪs/ (v): chú ý
sociologist /ˌsoʊ.siˈɑː.lə.dʒɪst/ (n): một nhà xã hội học
enterprise /ˈen.tə.praɪz/ (n):doanh nghiệp
appreciate /əˈpriː.ʃi.eɪt/ (v): trân trọng
practice /ˈpræk.tɪs/ (n): việc làm, hành động
adopt /əˈdɑːpt/ v): áp dụng, chấp nhận
commit /kəˈmɪt/ (v): cam kết
discriminate /dɪˈskrɪm.ə.neɪt/ (v): phân biệt
orientation /ˌɔːriənˈteɪʃn/ (n): niềm tin, định hướng
gender identity: nhận thức giới tính, bản dạng giới
attribute /ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt (n): đặc điểm
same-sex marriage: hôn nhân đồng tính
Vietnam to consider rare mammal saola as 2021 SEA Games mascot
Vietnamese organizers of the 2021 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games are expected to decide on the
official mascot for the region’s largest sporting event next week, with a design of the endangered
species saola being the favorite. 
The SEA Games are a biennial event governed by the Southeast Asian Games Federation under
the supervision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of
Asia.The first edition of the event was held in 1959 and it has since grown to be one of the
region’s largest sporting events, hosting athletes from 11 countries in Southeast Asia.
Next year’s SEA Games, the 31st edition of the event, is set to be organized in Vietnam from
November 21 to December 2 and will feature some 36 to 40 sports, mainly those played at
the Olympic Games.
This will be the second time Vietnam has won the right to host the Games, following the first
time in 2003. On August 30, 2019, the Vietnam Sports Administration and the Vietnam Olympic
Committee launched a nationwide contest to look for design ideas for the 2021 SEA
Games’ official logo, mascot, slogan, and song. 
Eventually, the design of a saola, one of the rarest large mammals on Earth and a forest-dwelling
bovine found only in the Annamite Range of Vietnam and Laos, beat 556 other submissions to
claim the first prize of the competition. 
However, an official announcement on the mascot has been pending as the winning design
faced mixed opinions from the public. Earlier this month, a refined version of the contest-
winning saola design was proposed for a final decision to be made at the upcoming conference of
the Vietnamese SEA Games Organizing Committee (SEAGOC) on September 29, 2020.
If approved, the saola design will become the official mascot of the 2021 SEA Games. 
“Choosing the mascot [for SEA Games] attracts wide attention from the public where everyone
has their own opinion so compliments and disapprovals are very normal,” said a former member
of the 2003 SEAGOC.
“In 2003, when the SEA Games was first held in Vietnam, there were many people criticizing
the golden water buffalo mascot,” the member added, referring to the official ‘Trau Vang’
mascot of the 2003 Games which represents the culture of wet rice civilization in Vietnam, as
well as in other Southeast Asian countries. A logo inspired by the combined images of a bird and
a human hand to create the V shape, representing “victory” and “Vietnam,” has also been
proposed for consideration. 
Meanwhile, there is no clear popular nominee for the official theme song for the 2021 SEA
Games. A song titled ‘Cung khac ten minh vao nui song’ (Let’s carve our name into mountains
and rivers) received the consolation prize in the aforementioned contest, but contest organizers
said they could not find better-composed submissions for higher prizes. 
At the same time, the SEAGOC has commissioned composer Quang Vinh, who composed the
theme song of the 2003 SEA Games in Vietnam, to produce a song for next year’s event. 
It remains unclear whether ‘Cung khac ten minh vao nui song’ or Vinh’s song will be put
forward for the SEAGOC’s approval of the Games’ official theme song.
WORD BANK:
mascot /ˈmæs.kɑːt/ (n): linh vật
biennial /baɪˈen.i.əl/ (adj): diễn ra hai năm một lần
govern /ˈɡʌv.ɚn/ (v): điều hành
supervision /ˌsu·pərˈvɪʒ·ən/ (n): sự giám sát
host /hoʊst/ [C1] (v): đăng cai, tiếp đón
launch /lɑːntʃ/ [B2] (v): phát động
nationwide /ˌneɪʃnˈwaɪd/ [B2] (adv): quy mô toàn quốc
submission /səbˈmɪʃn/ (n): bài dự thi
pending /ˈpen.dɪŋ/ (adj): trạng thái chờ
mixed opinions /mɪkst/: ý kiến trái chiều
propose /prəˈpoʊz/ (v): đề xuất
upcoming /ˈʌpˌkʌm.ɪŋ/ (adj): sắp tới
compliment /ˈkɑːm.plə.mənt/ (n): lời khen
disapproval /ˌdɪsəˈpruːvl/ (n): sự không đồng tình, chê
civilization /ˌsɪvələˈzeɪʃn/ (n): nền văn minh
nominee /ˌnɑː.məˈniː/ (n): người được đề cử
consolation prize: giải khuyến khích
aforementioned /əˌfɔːrˈmenʃənd/ (adj): được nhắc đến ở trên, nói trên
commission /kəˈmɪʃn/ (v): đặt hàng
put forward (phrasal verb) đề suất