Money shortages are undoubtedly frustrating, but new research suggests they may also accelerate brain aging. As the researchers reported in the journal Innovation in Aging, individuals who face persistent financial difficulties or low income during their younger years tend to perform worse on cognitive tests by the age of 53.
Furthermore, brain scans revealed that those with lower incomes exhibited poorer brain health and more pronounced volume reduction in older age (between 69 and 71 years), according to the study authors.
The link between financial hardship and brain aging persisted even after the researchers accounted for other factors that could influence brain health.
“Most studies on cognitive aging look at financial difficulties at just one specific point in time,” explained co-author Jacques Wels from University College London. “Our study, which draws on data spanning several decades, allows us to see that it is the accumulation of difficulties over many years, rather than isolated episodes of adversity, that leads to the worst cognitive health outcomes.”
For the study, scientists analyzed data from nearly 2,800 British individuals born in 1946. Participants were asked about their household income at ages 26, 43, and 53, as well as whether they struggled to pay bills and meet financial obligations.
The findings showed that low income and financial difficulties were linked to slower information processing speed and poorer verbal memory by age 53.
Men were more likely to encounter financial problems, as were those who experienced adverse childhood conditions or had an elevated genetic risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers suggested that these men might have suffered more from financial strain because they belonged to a generation where they were typically seen as the primary breadwinners. Additionally, they may have engaged in more harmful habits, such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
MRI scans conducted on some participants indicated that financial stress was associated with changes in brain structure linked to accelerated aging, such as reduced size in key brain regions.
“Our findings suggest that supporting people facing financial hardship and reducing chronic poverty could also help prevent cognitive decline and cases of dementia in the future,” noted co-author Professor Praveetha Patalay from University College London.
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