Student loan debt bad for your wallet and your heart

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

Graduates who struggle to pay off student loans into middle age are more prone to heart disease, the world's number one killer.

The phenomenon undermines the usual health benefits of a university education, say scientists.

Lead author Dr. Adam Lippert, of the University of Colorado, explained: "As the cost of college has increased, students and their families have taken on more debt to get to and stay in college.

"Consequently, student debt is a massive financial burden to so many in the United States, and yet we know little about the potential long term health consequences of this debt.

"Previous research showed that, in the short term, student debt burdens were associated with self reported health and mental health, so we were interested in understanding whether student debt was associated with cardiovascular illness among adults in early mid-life."

In the UK, courses can cost more than £9,000 ($11,281) a year. Those who start college next year may be paying off their loans for 40 years under new government plans.

Labor has said it will hit the worst off hardest - with lower earning graduates affected most.

The study found individuals who failed to pay student debt between young adulthood and early mid-life were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD).

But the health of those who did was as good or better than those who never faced the financial burden.

The US team analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health).

More than 20,000 participants were tracked from 12 up to the age of 44. A subset of 4,193 respondents underwent medical examinations that were carried out at home.

A measurement tool called the Framingham Risk was used which estimates chances of cardiovascular disease over the next 30 years of life.

It is based on sex, age, blood pressure, smoking status, diabetes diagnosis and BMI (body mass index).

The researchers also looked at levels of a blood chemical called CRP (C-reactive protein) which is a sign of chronic or systemic inflammation.

Those who consistently had debt or took on debt had higher CVD risk scores than individuals who had never been in debt and those who paid off their debt.

Interestingly, respondents who paid off debt had significantly lower CVD risk scores than those never in debt.

Clinically significant CRP value estimates were identified for those who took on new debt or were consistently in debt between young adulthood and early mid-life.

These estimates exceeded their counterparts who never had debt or paid it off. Race or ethnicity had no impact on the results.

Dr. Lippert said: "Our study respondents came of age and went to college at a time when student debt was rapidly rising with an average debt of around $25,000 (£20,000) for four year college graduates.

"It has risen more since then, leaving young cohorts with more student debt than any before them.

"Unless something is done to reduce the costs of going to college and forgive outstanding debts, the health consequences of climbing student loan debt are likely to grow."

Participants were split into four groups including those who never had student debt (37%), those who paid it off (12%), those who took on new debt in young adulthood (28%) and those who were consistently in debt (24%)

Further analyses suggested degree completion provides health benefits even to those with student debt - although these were diminished relative to non-debtors.

Dr. Lippert said the findings indicate the potential population health implications of debt-financed education.

Although the empirical evidence is clear on the economic and health returns from a college degree, these advantages come at a cost for borrowers, he added.

The study is in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.