A University College London study of 2,759 participants from the 1946 British cohort found that persistent financial hardship and low income across early and middle adulthood were associated with poorer cognitive performance by age 53 and worse brain health in later life (ages 69–71). The research, which tracked income at ages 26, 43 and 53, indicates that the accumulation of financial adversity over decades has a stronger link to cognitive decline than isolated episodes of hardship. The effects were more pronounced among men, individuals with disadvantaged childhoods, and those carrying a genetic risk variant for Alzheimer's disease, APOE-ε4. Researchers argue that sustained poverty and financial stress may tax brain networks involved in attention and decision-making, contributing to faster brain aging. The findings suggest that policies aimed at reducing chronic poverty and supporting financially vulnerable groups could help prevent dementia and cognitive decline in the population.