How Financial Pressure Accelerates Heart Aging

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December 22, 2025 | 05:50 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Financial stress and food insecurity may be just as harmful to the heart as high blood pressure or diabetes, according to a large-scale study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

The research suggests that social and economic pressures can accelerate the biological aging of the heart and significantly increase the risk of death.

“What’s in your wallet and on your plate can significantly determine how quickly your heart ages,” the researchers wrote, as cited by Earth on December 20, 2025. The study underscores how deeply everyday living conditions shape long-term cardiovascular health.

How Social Stress Affects the Heart

Heart age refers to the biological condition of the heart compared with a person’s actual age. When the heart ages faster than expected, the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death increases.

The study found that financial pressure and difficulty accessing adequate food were the strongest contributors to accelerated heart aging. These factors remained dominant even after accounting for conventional medical risks such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.

According to the researchers, chronic financial strain and food insecurity can trigger prolonged stress responses in the body. Over time, this stress may lead to inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and metabolic disruptions that damage the cardiovascular system.

Inside the Study

The research analyzed data from more than 280,000 adults who received care at the Mayo Clinic between 2018 and 2023. Participants completed a detailed survey on social determinants of health, covering nine key areas including income stability, food access, housing security, physical activity, and stress levels.

To measure heart health, researchers used artificial intelligence-based electrocardiogram analysis, known as AI-ECG.

This technology estimated each participant’s heart age based on routine ECG data. The results were then compared with chronological age to identify individuals whose hearts appeared biologically older than expected.

While financial pressure and food insecurity stood out as the strongest predictors, the study also found that housing instability and low physical activity were linked to poorer heart health outcomes.

The researchers noted that long-term exposure to social stressors can compound cardiovascular risks, particularly when multiple pressures, such as unstable housing and limited resources, occur simultaneously.

Rethinking Heart Disease Prevention

The findings highlight the need to broaden approaches to preventing heart disease. Traditional prevention strategies often focus on clinical factors, such as medication and lifestyle changes, but the study suggests that social conditions deserve equal attention.

“Stabilizing food access and financial conditions is cardiovascular prevention,” the researchers wrote, emphasizing that addressing economic hardship can be a powerful tool in improving heart health at a population level.

What the Findings Mean

Although the study was cross-sectional and does not establish direct cause-and-effect relationships, its large sample size and consistent results across both men and women strengthen its conclusions.

Taken together, the findings reinforce a growing body of evidence that heart health is shaped not only by biology and behavior, but also by the social realities people face every day.

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