INVESTIGATING FINANCIAL WELLBEING, BIOLOGICAL AGING, AND RISK OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS I…

Assistance award details

Assistance award identifier

ASST_NON_R00AG084769_075

FAIN

R00AG084769

Recipient

TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Awarding agency

Department of Health and Human Services

Funding agency

Department of Health and Human Services

Assistance listing (CFDA)

93.866

Total obligated

$489,037

Period

Dec 15, 2023 – Apr 30, 2028

Fiscal year

2025

Place of performance state

MA

Source file

FY2025_All_Assistance_Full_20261006.zip

Description

INVESTIGATING FINANCIAL WELLBEING, BIOLOGICAL AGING, AND RISK OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS IN A LIFE COURSE SYNTHETIC COHORT - IN THE UNITED STATES, OVER 6 MILLION PEOPLE AGES 65+ ARE LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS (ADRD), AND THIS NUMBER IS PROJECTED TO DOUBLE IN THE NEXT 30-40 YEARS. POOR FINANCIAL WELLBEING (WHICH ENCOMPASSES FINANCIAL DISSATISFACTION, FINANCIAL STRAIN, DIFFICULTY PAYING BILLS, LOW INCOME, LOW SAVINGS, ETC.) IS A MAJOR SOURCE OF STRESS, AND LIFE COURSE EXPERIENCES OF FINANCIAL STRESS ARE COMMON AMONG US ADULTS. INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES MAY BE AT INCREASED RISK OF COGNITIVE DECLINE AND ADRD COMPARED WITH THOSE MORE FINANCIALLY STABLE, BUT THE LIFE COURSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS’ FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND ADRD RISK IS UNDEREXAMINED. GIVEN THE PERVASIVENESS OF LIFE COURSE FINANCIAL STRESSORS IN THE US, AND THE RISING NUMBER OF OLDER AMERICANS WHO REPORT BEING FINANCIALLY INSECURE OR EXPERIENCING SOME FINANCIAL INSTABILITY IN LATER YEARS, THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED TO EXAMINE HOW AND WHEN OVER THE LIFE COURSE POOR FINANCIAL WELLBEING HARMS COGNITION AND CONTRIBUTES TO ADRD RISK. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS OF THIS APPLICATION IS THAT POOR FINANCIAL WELLBEING ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE, PARTICULARLY STARTING IN EARLY LIFE, INCREASES RISK OF COGNITIVE DECLINE AND ADRD. STRESS LIKELY PLAYS A ROLE, AS THE CUMULATIVE IMPACTS OF CHRONIC FINANCIAL HARDSHIP CAUSES STRESS WHICH MAY ACCELERATE BIOLOGICAL AGING AND, IN TURN, LEAD TO COGNITIVE DECLINE. INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL WELLBEING WOULD LIKELY REDUCE ADRD BURDEN, BUT WHAT SUCH INTERVENTIONS SHOULD BE AND WHEN THEY SHOULD OCCUR IS UNCLEAR. PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS LACKED THE LONGITUDINAL DATA IDEALLY SUITED TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. BUILDING ON TRAINING AND LIFE COURSE SYNTHETIC COHORT DATA FROM THE K99 PHASE OF THIS AWARD, AND USING ADVANCED CAUSAL INFERENCE METHODS, THIS RESEARCH WILL: (1) INVESTIGATE ACCELERATED BIOLOGICAL AGING AS