Can childhood poverty put one at risk of heart failure in adulthood?

A poverty-stricken childhood could put one at risk for heart failure in adulthood, a new study suggests.

Researchers from Finland who put forward the claim made use of data from household income for hundreds of children born in 1980.

They found that kids from poor families were more likely to have an enlarged, poorly functioning lower left heart chamber and a sign of heart failure three decades later as opposed to children who were born rich.

“There are continuing socioeconomic inequalities in health across generations and across countries,” said Rebecca Hardy, from the Institute of Epidemiology and Health at University College London in England.

“Poverty has shown to be consistently related to cardiovascular disease and other health outcomes in adulthood, these associations cannot be entirely explained by adult employments and earnings.

“Obesity, poor health habits or the emotional environment within the family could play a role.

“The study can’t actually prove that poverty led to poor health, but this association remained even after researchers took into account age, sex, standard risk factors for heart disease, and participants’ earnings as adults.”

In an editorial written by the researchers about the study, it was said that more research is needed to find the best ways to target these income and health inequalities, as they may vary from place to place.

The report was published June 26 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.