(Press-News.org) CHICAGO --- If young people are drowning in debt, their blood pressure may be on the rise and their health could suffer. A new Northwestern Medicine® study has found that high financial debt is associated with higher diastolic blood pressure and poorer self-reported general and mental health in young adults.
The study, published in the August issue of Social Science and Medicine, offers a glimpse into the impact debt may have on the health of young Americans.
"We now live in a debt-fueled economy," said Elizabeth Sweet, lead author of the study. "Since the 1980s American household debt has tripled. It's important to understand the health consequences associated with debt."
Sweet is an assistant professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a faculty associate of Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health, at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern.
Researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to explore the association between debt and both psychological and general health outcomes in 8,400 young adults, ages 24 to 32 years old.
Previous studies have found evidence that debt is associated with adverse psychological health, but this is the first to look at physical health as well.
Here are some key findings of the study:
Twenty percent of participants reported that they would still be in debt if they liquidated all of their assets (high debt-to-asset-ratio).
Higher debt-to-asset ratio was associated with higher perceived stress and depression, worse self-reported general health and higher diastolic blood pressure.
Those with higher debt were found to have a 1.3 percent increase (relative to the mean) in diastolic blood pressure -- which is clinically significant. A two-point increase in diastolic blood pressure, for example, is associated with a 17 percent higher risk of hypertension and a 15 percent higher risk of stroke.
The researchers found that individuals with high compared to low debt reported higher levels of perceived stress (representing an 11.7 percent increase relative to the mean) and higher depressive symptoms (a 13.2 percent increase relative to the mean).
"You wouldn't necessarily expect to see associations between debt and physical health in people who are so young," Sweet said. "We need to be aware of this association and understand it better. Our study is just a first peek at how debt may impact physical health."
In the study, personal financial debt was measured in two ways. Participants were asked about their debt-to-asset ratio by answering this question: "Suppose you and others in your household were to sell all of your major possessions (including your home), turn all of your investments and other assets into cash, and pay off all of your debts. Would you have something left over, break even or be in debt?"
Second, participants were asked how much debt, besides a home mortgage, they owe. Response categories ranged from "less than $1,000" to "$250,000 or more."
Perceived stress, depressive symptoms and general health were measured through a series of questions. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured on each participant by a field interviewer.
### END
High debt could be hazardous to your health
Household debt may impact the mental and physical health of young Americans
2013-08-16
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
ITN type 1 diabetes study identifies subset of patients with strong response to therapy
2013-08-16
WA, Seattle (August 15, 2013) – Primary results from a new clinical trial show that patients with type 1 diabetes treated with the monoclonal antibody teplizumab (MacroGenics, Inc.) exhibit greater preservation of C-peptide, a biomarker of islet cell function, compared to controls. Further analyses identified a discrete subset of the treatment group that demonstrated especially robust responses ("responders"), suggesting that these patients could be identified prior to treatment. The trial, entitled "Autoimmunity-Blocking Antibody for Tolerance in Recently Diagnosed Type ...
Celery, artichokes contain flavonoids that kill human pancreatic cancer cells
2013-08-16
URBANA, Ill. – Celery, artichokes, and herbs, especially Mexican oregano, all contain apigenin and luteolin, flavonoids that kill human pancreatic cancer cells in the lab by inhibiting an important enzyme, according to two new University of Illinois studies.
"Apigenin alone induced cell death in two aggressive human pancreatic cancer cell lines. But we received the best results when we pre-treated cancer cells with apigenin for 24 hours, then applied the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine for 36 hours," said Elvira de Mejia, a U of I professor of food chemistry and food ...
UC Davis researchers discover molecular target for the bacterial infection brucellosis
2013-08-16
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — UC Davis scientists have uncovered a potential drug target for the development of an effective therapy against the debilitating, chronic form of the bacterial disease brucellosis, which primarily afflicts people in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries.
Brucellosis, which affects about 500,000 people worldwide each year, typically is caused by ingestion of unsterilized milk or close contact with body secretions from infected animals. Symptoms include intermittent or irregular fever of variable duration, headache, weakness, profuse sweating, ...
Soft drink consumption linked to behavioral problems in young children
2013-08-16
Americans buy more soft drinks per capita than people in any other country. These drinks are consumed by individuals of all ages, including very young children. Although soft drink consumption is associated with aggression, depression, and suicidal thoughts in adolescents, the relationship had not been evaluated in younger children. A new study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, University of Vermont, and Harvard School of Public Health in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that aggression, attention problems, and withdrawal behavior are ...
Soft drinks and behavioral problems in young children
2013-08-16
Cincinnati, OH, August 16, 2013 -- Americans buy more soft drinks per capita than people in any other country. These drinks are consumed by individuals of all ages, including very young children. Although soft drink consumption is associated with aggression, depression, and suicidal thoughts in adolescents, the relationship had not been evaluated in younger children. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that aggression, attention problems, and withdrawal behavior are all associated with soft drink consumption in young children.
Shakira ...
Astronomers show galaxies had 'mature' shapes 11.5 billion years ago
2013-08-15
AMHERST, Mass. – Studying the evolution and anatomy of galaxies using the Hubble Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers led by doctoral candidate BoMee Lee and her advisor Mauro Giavalisco at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have established that mature-looking galaxies existed much earlier than previously known, when the universe was only about 2.5 billion years old, or 11.5 billion years ago. "Finding them this far back in time is a significant discovery," says lead author Lee.
The team used two cameras, Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), and Advanced ...
Spaceflight alters bacterial social networks
2013-08-15
When astronauts launch into space, a microbial entourage follows. And the sheer number of these followers would give celebrities on Twitter a run for their money. The estimate is that normal, healthy adults have ten times as many microbial cells as human cells within their bodies; countless more populate the environment around us. Although invisible to the naked eye, microorganisms – some friend, some foe – are found practically everywhere.
Microorganisms like bacteria often are found attached to surfaces living in communities known as biofilms. Bacteria within biofilms ...
University of East Anglia research could contain infectious disease outbreaks
2013-08-15
Researchers at the University of East Anglia have identified a rapid response which could help halt infectious diseases such as bird flu, swine flu and SARS before they take hold.
Focusing on the avian flu virus strain H5N1, research published today in the journal PLOS ONE identifies key stages in the poultry trade chain which lead to its transmission to other birds, animals and humans.
High risk times for the disease to spread include during transportation, slaughter, preparation and consumption. It is hoped that the findings and recommendations will help stop the ...
Study reveals much-needed strategy to protect against deadly liver fibrosis
2013-08-15
Chronic liver disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, in part because it often causes the formation of harmful scar tissue—a process known as fibrosis. A study published by Cell Press August 15 in the journal Immunity reveals the central role the immune molecule interleukin 33 (IL-33) plays in the formation of liver fibrosis. The findings suggest that drugs targeting this molecule could serve as a new treatment strategy to protect against liver fibrosis.
"Currently, the therapeutic options for liver fibrosis are limited and not curative," says senior ...
Researchers identify genetic root of mountain sickness
2013-08-15
Exposure to low oxygen levels, such as those present at high altitudes, can wreak havoc on the body. Now researchers reporting August 15 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, published by Cell Press, have uncovered genes that play a role in causing this damage, making them attractive targets for treatments against chronic mountain sickness and other conditions that involve oxygen deprivation.
There are approximately140 million people living permanently at high altitudes, where oxygen levels are low. Many of them have adapted to their environment, but others have ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
A map for single-atom catalysts
What about tritiated water release from Fukushima? Ocean model simulations provide an objective scientific knowledge on the long-term tritium distribution
Growing crisis of communicable disease in Canada in tandem with US cuts
Women get better at managing their anger as they age
Illegal shark product trade evident in Australia and New Zealand
New search tool brings 21% better accuracy for robotics developers
New model extracts sentence-level proof to verify events, boosting fact-checking accuracy for journalists, legal teams, and policymakers
Efficient carbon integration of CO₂ in propane aromatization over acidic zeolites
FPGA-accelerated AI for demultiplexing multimode fiber towards next-generation communications
Vitamin D3 nanoemulsion significantly improves core symptoms in children with autism: A clinical trial
Microfluidic point-of-care device accurately measures bilirubin in blood serum: A pilot study
Amygdalin shows strong binding and stabilizing effects on HER2 receptor: A computational study for breast cancer therapy
Bond behavior of FRP bars in concrete under reversed cyclic loading: an experimental study
Milky Way-like galaxy M83 consumes high-speed clouds
Study: What we learned from record-breaking 2021 heat wave and what we can expect in the future
Transforming treatment outcomes for people with OCD
Damage from smoke and respiratory viruses mitigated in mice via a common signaling pathway
New software tool could help better understand childhood cancer
Healthy lifestyle linked to lower diverticulitis risk, irrespective of genetic susceptibility
Women 65+ still at heightened risk of cervical cancer caused by HPV
‘Inflammatory’ diet during pregnancy may raise child’s diabetes type 1 risk
Effective therapies needed to halt rise in eco-anxiety, says psychology professor
Nature-friendly farming boosts biodiversity and yields but may require new subsidies
Against the odds: Endometriosis linked to four times higher pregnancy rates than other causes of infertility, new study reveals
Microplastics discovered in human reproductive fluids, new study reveals
Family ties and firm performance: How cousin marriage traditions shape informal businesses in Africa
Novel flu vaccine adjuvant improves protection against influenza viruses, study finds
Manipulation of light at the nanoscale helps advance biosensing
New mechanism discovered in ovarian cancer peritoneal metastasis: YWHAB restriction drives stemness and chemoresistance
New study links blood metabolites and immune cells to increased risk of urolithiasis
[Press-News.org] High debt could be hazardous to your healthHousehold debt may impact the mental and physical health of young Americans