Financial Stress Accelerates Heart Aging More Than Previous Heart Attacks

Mayo Clinic researchers used artificial intelligence to analyze nearly 300,000 electrocardiograms and found financial strain ages hearts faster than major medical conditions. People facing money troubles showed 60% higher death risk over two years, while previous heart attack patients had only 10% increased risk. The AI technology, trained on 775,000 ECGs, estimates biological heart age by detecting electrical patterns that reveal accelerated aging. Among nine social factors examined between 2018 and 2023, financial resource strain topped the list for cardiac aging acceleration. Food insecurity ranked second, and housing instability increased mortality risk by 18%. Study participants averaged nearly 60 years old with equal gender distribution. The research suggests doctors should screen for financial strain alongside traditional risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol. (Story URL)