The threat of financial stress has been identified: it affects not only a person’s mental health

Lack of money affects more than grief and alcohol

A new UK study has found evidence that money stress is associated with long-term changes in key health indicators, including those related to the immune, nervous and hormonal systems.

Scientists from University College London and King’s College in the UK say their analysis is the first to examine how different types of chronic stress are associated with health outcomes in older groups. Data for the study included almost 5 thousand adults over 50 years of age. The study was published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

Of all six common stressors, including financial strain, caregiving, disability, bereavement, illness, and divorce, money strain was associated with the riskiest long-term health profiles.

“We found that financial stress is most detrimental to biological health, although more research is needed to know for sure,” says epidemiologist Odessa Hamilton of the University of California.

These risk profiles were established using four biomarkers in the blood: cortisol, which is a hormone produced in response to stress, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, which respond to inflammation, and insulin growth factor-1, which is associated with aging and longevity.

Study participants reported experiencing stress overall, 61 percent more likely to be in the high-risk category than in the moderate or low-risk categories at the four-year follow-up. For each additional stressor, such as divorce, that likelihood increased by 19 percent.

“This may be due to the fact that this form of stress can interfere with many aspects of our lives, leading to family conflicts, social isolation and even hunger or homelessness,” says the epidemiologist.

The findings suggest that stress has a significant impact on the aging body, and some stress may have a greater physical impact than others.

Acute stress is known to trigger various hormonal changes in the body that increase breathing, blood pressure and heart rate. The immune system also responds by producing more anti-inflammatory molecules. That’s why, experts say, being under increased stress can lead to chronic immune activation, which can worsen physical and mental illness.

“When the immune and neuroendocrine systems function well together, homeostasis is maintained and health is maintained,” explains Odessa Hamilton. “But chronic stress can disrupt this biological metabolism and lead to disease.”

According to scientists, the four biomarkers are limited in what they can actually tell about a person’s health. In the current study, for example, higher alcohol consumption (more than three drinks per week) was associated with a lower risk profile. This may be due to the fact that alcoholic beverages have anti-inflammatory effects, but this does not necessarily mean that increasing alcohol consumption is beneficial for a person’s overall health.

UCLA researchers concluded that “the synergistic immune and neuroendocrine response to stress represents an important target for clinical intervention. Intervention in these processes can change the course of the disease.”