"Going to the dogs" may be a good thing—when it comes to healthcare, anyway. New data reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2005 show that a 12-minute visit with man's best friend helped lower pressures in the heart and lungs, diminished release of harmful hormones, and eased anxiety among 76 hospitalized heart failure patients. Nurse researchers discovered that the benefits exceeded those resulting from a visit with a human volunteer or from being left alone. Dogs in the UCLA study were carefully screened and included a poodle, a golden retriever, and a miniature schnauzer.