Scientists have found evidence that common financial concerns may have long-term effects on brain health. A study by University College London (UCL) researchers indicates that prolonged financial struggles can lead to accelerated brain aging and diminished memory and cognitive skills in later life. The study, published in Innovation in Aging, tracked 2,759 people born in 1946 in the U.K. over several decades. It revealed that individuals frequently facing low income or bill difficulties in early and mid-adulthood scored lower on cognitive tests at 53 compared to those without such financial strain.
Financial Struggles Leave a Lasting Mark
A survey by Capital One and The Decision Lab, called Mind Over Money, reports 77% of Americans feel anxious about their finances. Money worries impact various life aspects, with fatigue reported by 43%, concentration issues at work by 42%, and sleep problems by 41% of respondents. The UCL study extends these concerns, highlighting that financial hardships have significant long-term health implications beyond daily stress.
Researcher Dr. Jacques Wels stated many studies focus on financial hardships at single time points. However, this study utilized decades of data to show that cumulative financial hardship links to the worst cognitive health outcomes, not isolated hardship episodes. Brain scans conducted decades later revealed worrisome trends. Those with persistent low income exhibited more signs of poor brain health—including increased brain shrinkage—between ages 69 and 71. Notably, these findings held even after adjusting for childhood intelligence, education, and socioeconomic status, signaling that background alone does not explain the results.
Why Money Worries May Affect the Brain
The connection between financial hardship and decreased brain health was pronounced among men, those with childhood disadvantages, and individuals with the APOE-ε4 gene, associated with Alzheimer’s disease risk. Men with prolonged financial trouble performed worse cognitively than women in similar situations. Researchers suggest the generation of financially disadvantaged men were more prone to unhealthy behaviors like smoking and excessive drinking. These men faced heavier stress, often seen as primary earners.
Dr. Wels explained that financial hardship contributes to stress and harmful behavior, reinforcing one another. Chronic stress, which triggers body inflammation, is one potential explanation for the link. This inflammation associates with quicker brain aging. Additionally, the mental burden of financial worry may monopolize cognitive resources, reducing capacity for other mental tasks.
Could Tackling Poverty Help Prevent Dementia?
Professor Praveetha Patalay, the study’s senior author, suggested reducing prolonged financial hardship might have benefits extending beyond economic health. “Our findings suggest that supporting people facing financial hardship and reducing chronic poverty could also help prevent cognitive decline and dementia cases in the future,” she stated.
Yiwen Liu, Jacques Wels, Sarah-Naomi James, Sarah E Keuss, Jane Maddock, Thomas D Parker, Jean Stafford, Jonathan M Schott, Marcus Richards, Praveetha Patalay, Persistent financial adversity and cognitive aging: a life course investigation, Innovation in Aging, Volume 10, Issue 8, 2026, igag054, https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igag054
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