No B.S Friday: Poverty is responsible for many evils. Add memory loss to the list.
Well, in the realm of “I can’t believe that got a grant for that”, researchers have uncovered a link between lower wages and increased memory loss in old age.
Yep. Low wages suck. No kidding.
But now there’s another reason to get away from the trap of low wages – holding on to your memory:
Earning Persistently Low Wages Linked With Faster Memory Decline In Old Age
A new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that the effects of earning sustained low wages is also associated with a more rapid memory decline later in life
The findings were presented at the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
Economic disparities are associated with many different health outcomes such as depressive symptoms, hypertension, and obesity.
… “Our research provides new evidence that sustained exposure to low wages during peak earning years is associated with accelerated memory decline later in life,” first author Dr Katrina Kezios, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, said in a statement. “
“Increasing the federal minimum wage, for example to $15 per hour, remains a gridlock issue in Congress, “said Kezios.
“Our findings suggest that social policies that enhance the financial well-being of low-wage workers may be especially beneficial for cognitive health,” added senior author Dr Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School and the Columbia Butler Aging Center.
“Future work should rigorously examine the number of dementia cases and excess years of cognitive aging that could be prevented under different hypothetical scenarios that would increase the minimum hourly wage.”
Yeah, ok, take it easy guys. It’s a good result, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You can’t talk about ‘sustained exposure to low wages’ like they’re some sort of radio-active chemical.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with low wages, just as there’s nothing inherently good about higher wages.
It’s just about what happens to your life when you have exposure to one or the other.
When you have money, you get all sorts of virtuous circles happening. You have the money to eat well and exercise regularly, and your health improves. You don’t have to stress about finances and you can invest in couples counselling, and so your relationships improve.
Conversely, when you’re poor, you’re more stressed, less healthy, and less happy.
Money doesn’t fix your problems. But it does give you the ability to buy thing things that will fix your problems.
Anyway, next time someone tells me that money can’t buy you happiness, I’m showing them this.
Exposure to low wages is literally making you sick and dumb.
It’s science!
JG.
V says
As I told you before, here is why wealthy people have a better memory: if you borrow money from somebody, you tend to forget it… but if you lend money to somebody, you will remember it very well…