Stress Due to Lack of Money Can Damage the Heart

JAKARTA - A recent study shows that stress due to financial problems affects heart health. The impact is comparable, or even greater than classic medical risk factors.

This finding adds to evidence that heart health is not only determined by cholesterol or blood pressure, but also a person's social and economic conditions. Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, on Monday, February 2, 2026, the study analyzed data from more than 280 thousand adults.

The financial problems in question include the cost of bills to be borne, debt, having no money, a savings crisis, increasingly expensive health costs, and the stability of the residence can disturb sleep, limit access to nutritious food, and reduce the opportunity to exercise.

Researchers not only looked at whether participants developed heart disease, but also assessed what is called 'cardiovascular age', about how old a person's heart and blood vessel condition is biologically compared to their actual age.

The results showed individuals with levels of financial stress and food insecurity tended to have a heart that ages faster. This relationship remained visible, even though the researchers had taken into account medical risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking habits.

Health expert, Dr. Leana Wen, said that cardiac aging refers to changes in the structure and function of the cardiovascular system. If stress continues to occur, such as due to finances, it can trigger damage to the heart.

"If it happens in the long term, this stress response causes damage to the heart and blood vessels, similar to the natural aging process," said Wen.

Financial stress is different from temporary stress, such as work deadlines or short-term problems. Economic stress tends to be chronic and difficult to avoid, due to daily living needs.

These conditions reinforce each other and slowly increase the occurrence of heart disease. The relationship between financial stress and cardiac aging is equivalent, even in some cases stronger, than clinical risk factors such as hypertension or diabetes.

"This does not mean that financial stress replaces medical factors, but adds to the burden of risk," he added.

Thus, through the results of this study, doctors are encouraged to include financial stress as part of the assessment of patient health risks.

Just knowing that financial stress impacts health can increase trust and quality of care. Medical staff can also help by adjusting treatment plans or connecting patients with relevant support centers.