Long-term financial hardship may accelerate the brain aging process. According to a new study by scientists at University College London (UCL), adults who have lived under conditions of low income and financial stress for decades exhibit weaker cognitive skills and signs of premature brain aging as they grow older.
As part of the study, researchers analyzed data from 2,759 British individuals born in 1946. The results showed that participants with chronic financial hardship scored relatively lower on tests of verbal memory and processing speed. Additionally, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed reduced brain volume and ventricular enlargement, which are direct markers of brain aging.
According to the scientists, it is not short-term hardship, but rather chronic financial stress accumulated over decades that has a particularly negative effect on brain health. This may be linked to inflammatory processes caused by persistent nervous tension in the body or the high cognitive load resulting from constant financial worry. The effect was particularly pronounced in men, individuals raised in harsh childhood conditions, and people carrying the Alzheimer’s disease risk gene (APOE-ε4).
Researchers note that while cognitive decline depends on genetics and individual behaviors, it is also heavily influenced by socioeconomic conditions that people cannot always control.
