Overview
- Financial strain and food insecurity emerged as the most powerful social determinants associated with accelerated cardiac aging and higher mortality risk.
- The cross-sectional analysis drew on Mayo Clinic patient data from 2018–2023, using an AI-enabled ECG to estimate a cardiac age gap and structural equation modeling to map risk pathways.
- In mortality analyses reported by StudyFinds, financial strain was linked to a 60% higher two-year death risk compared with 10% for prior heart attack, and housing instability was linked to an 18% increase.
- Across nine surveyed domains, the combined effect of social determinants outweighed conventional clinical risk factors in predicting cardiac biological aging.
- Authors urge screening for social needs and targeted, patient-centered interventions, while noting limits to generalizability due to internal AI validation and a predominantly non-Hispanic White cohort.