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Faster brain aging linked to long-term financial hardship in new study
Fox News • • general
Key Points:
- A study by University College London found that adults experiencing persistent financial hardship exhibited poorer cognitive performance and signs of accelerated brain aging later in life.
- The research, involving 2,759 UK participants born in 1946, showed that those with sustained low income performed worse on tests of verbal memory and processing speed and had poorer brain health on MRI scans.
- The cognitive decline was most pronounced among men, individuals from disadvantaged childhoods, and carriers of the APOE-ε4 genetic variant linked to Alzheimer's disease.
- Researchers suggest that chronic financial adversity over decades may lead to faster cognitive aging due to stress-induced inflammation or increased cognitive load from ongoing financial worries.
- While the study indicates a strong association, its observational nature means it cannot prove causation, and further research is needed to determine if improving financial conditions can reduce cognitive decline risk.
