HAVING persistent money problems has been linked to faster brain ageing and risk of development dementia, scientists claim.

According to British researchers, money troubles may impact the “bandwidth” in parts of the brain that process things like attention and decision-making.

Having persistent money problems has been linked to faster brain ageing Credit: Getty

Published in the Innovations in Ageing journal, the study suggested that this was particularly pronounced in men and those who had disadvantaged childhoods.

People with a greater genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease were also at higher risk.

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Researchers suggested that by supporting those facing “financial hardship”, as well as reducing poverty, dementia cases in the future could be prevented.

Reacting to the findings, Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This study is a reminder that dementia is not just a health issue, but a social and economic one too.

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“It adds to growing evidence that the factors shaping our brain health begin long before any symptoms of dementia appear.”

“While there is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, research suggests that around 45% of cases globally could potentially be delayed or prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors.

“This means helping people to live healthier lives, whilst also tackling the wider inequalities that shape brain health.”

Over 980,000 people are thought to be living with dementia in the UK, with the number predicted to rise to over 1.4 million by 2040.

Dementia is the name for a group of symptoms associated with an ongoing decline in brain functioning – it can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities.

According to the NHS, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK.

Common early symptoms of the condition include memory loss, difficulty concentrating, mood changes and struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word.

In the study, scientists at University College London analysed survey data from 2,759 people in the UK.

Participants were asked what their household income was like at 26, 43 and 53 years old.

More than 980,000 people are thought to be living with dementia in the UK Credit: Getty

The early stages of dementia

DEMENTIA is not a single condition. It is caused by different physical diseases of the brain – like Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia and DLB.
More than 944,000 people in the UK currently have it. And no matter the type, it affects everyone differently.
The first signs of it are often mild and easy to brush off, but can include:

Memory problems (e.g. being unable to recall recent events or losing keys)
Planning and thinking difficulties (e.g. finding complex decisions about finances hard)
Language and communication trouble (e.g. struggling to find the right word)
Poor orientation (e.g. getting lost easily in familiar areas)
Visual-perceptual difficulties (e.g. problems judging distances)
Changes in mood or emotion (e.g. feeling anxious or frightened or getting easily upset)

“Many people at the early stage of dementia stay largely independent and only need a bit of assistance with daily living,” Alzheimer’s UK says.
“It is important to focus on what the person can do and not to take over and do things for them.
“Instead, try doing things with them, for example helping the person develop a routine, reminder lists and prompts, and use technology.”
Because dementia is progressive, it gets worse over time, usually over several years. Experts generally think of it in three stages:

Early stage (mild)
Middle stage (moderate)
Late stage (severe)

“These stages can be used to understand how dementia is likely to change over time, and to help people prepare for the future,” the charity adds.
“The stages also act as a guide to when certain treatments, such as medicines for Alzheimer’s disease, are likely to work best.”
Most people who develop dementia are over the age of 65. Anyone diagnosed before this is considered to have young-onset dementia, which affects about 70,800 people in the UK. 

People were classed as having persistent low income if they were in the bottom 20 per cent at least twice, which included about one in six taking part in the study.

Hardship included struggling to manage on their income or having trouble paying bills.

The study found that people who experienced persistent money struggles or poverty in early and middle adulthood performed worse on cognitive tests at age 53.

And among people who had brain scans, analysis showed those who had lower incomes had worse brain health by 69 to 71.

Speaking about the findings, Dr Jacques Wels, of the unit for lifelong health and ageing at UCL, said: “Most studies on cognitive ageing look at financial hardship at only a single point in time.

“Our study using several decades of data allows us to see that it is the accumulation of hardship over many years that is linked to the worst cognitive health outcomes, rather than occasional episodes of adversity.”

Professor Praveetha Patalay, also of UCL, added: “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.”