A new study has found that chronic financial struggles from early to mid-adulthood may accelerate brain aging.
Published in Innovation in Aging, the research analyzed long-term data from 2,759 participants in the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey of Health and Development.
Researchers from University College London found that individuals who experienced persistent low income or ongoing financial distress in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s showed poorer cognitive performance by age 53.
Brain MRI scans conducted when participants reached their late 60s and 70s also revealed that those with a history of long-term financial hardship exhibited greater signs of brain aging, including accelerated brain shrinkage (atrophy) and ventricular expansion.
The study noted that sustained economic hardship over decades—rather than temporary financial difficulties—has a more significant impact on long-term neurological health.
Findings further showed that certain groups may be more vulnerable to the cognitive effects of financial strain, including men and carriers of the APOE-ε4 gene, a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers added that older men who experienced persistent financial adversity showed greater brain shrinkage than women with similar financial histories.
“Men who experienced persistent financial adversity performed worse on cognitive tasks at age 53 and showed greater brain atrophy than women, indicating that men in this cohort may be more susceptible to the adverse cognitive effects of financial strain,” the researchers said.
The study’s authors urged policymakers to address long-term poverty, emphasizing that reducing sustained financial hardship could help protect cognitive health and resilience in aging populations.
