Persistent financial stress linked to brain aging across decades
A long-running UK study of 2,759 people from the 1946 birth cohort tracked income and hardship across adulthood and found that persistent low income and financial hardship were associated with poorer verbal memory and processing speed at age 53 and greater brain shrinkage by ages 69–71, even after accounting for childhood factors. The links were stronger in men, those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and APOE risk carriers. Interestingly, memory decline from 53 to 69 appeared slower for those with prior hardship, likely because they started from a lower baseline. While the study can’t prove causation, it suggests reducing chronic financial hardship could help protect brain health and potentially reduce dementia risk.
