Financial strain and food insecurity are driving accelerated biological aging of the heart, according to research published in the December issue of Mayo Clinical Proceedings.
Dr. Nazanin Rajai from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, led a team that analyzed 280,323 patients to understand how social and conventional risk factors interconnect to affect cardiac aging and mortality. The researchers developed a model to predict both cardiac aging and mortality risk.
The findings revealed that financial strain had the strongest impact, followed by food insecurity. Social determinants of health contributed more to predicting age gaps than comorbidities and demographic factors in both the total population and when analyzing men and women separately.
The study also found a powerful connection between social determinant domains and mortality. Financial resource strain showed particularly strong associations with death risk, even when researchers adjusted for conventional risk factors.
The authors emphasized the importance of understanding how social determinants interact with comorbidities and demographic risk factors in affecting cardiac aging and mortality. They noted that identifying the most important determinants allows for targeted preventive interventions in communities and helps physicians provide patient-centered care.
The research underscores how economic hardship and lack of access to adequate nutrition take a measurable toll on heart health, suggesting that addressing these social factors could be crucial for preventing premature cardiac aging.
See: “Social Drivers of Health Tied to Biological Heart Aging” (January 13, 2026)
