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Study Finds Money Worries Increase Speed of Heart Aging

Dec. 29, 2025 — Mayo Clinic researchers found financial strain and food insecurity were the strongest drivers of accelerated heart aging, which raises risk of heart disease and cardiac death.
Motivated by gaps in traditional risk assessment, researchers compared ECG-based heart-age estimates to questionnaire data on social determinants like financial strain and housing.
Using an AI-enabled ECG, researchers estimated heart aging for more than 280 patients from 2018–2023 and found social factors like financial strain linked to a 60% higher death risk and housing instability to 18%.
Dr. Amir Lerman, senior researcher, said the study highlights the critical role of social determinants in cardiac aging and mortality, enabling physicians to target preventive interventions effectively.
As reported Dec. 29, 2025, the study suggests clinicians and public-health policymakers may incorporate social determinants into risk assessments, as researchers found they can predict heart-related death risk, matching or surpassing conventional factors.

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