There is more to resolving debt issues than just avoiding collections calls and mail. There is more to it than just the mental relief that debts are paid off or paid down. According to a Northwestern University Medical School study, debt relief might also be a measurable health remedy.
Researchers evaluated the debt levels and health conditions of relatively young subjects. The subjects’ ages were between 24 and 32, a demographic that people might generally assume is pretty healthy. The research serves as a warning, however, that living in a condition with debt increases the risk for risky health conditions, even among young adults.
If you are within the above-mentioned age group, did you borrow money for college? How much debt do you owe? If you are like the subjects in the Northwestern study, then you probably carry a debt of around $45,000. While you are aware of the debt you owe, a number that you might not be so familiar with is your blood pressure and its potential.
The research indicates that the subjects with greater debt had increased blood pressure rates of about 1.3 percent. If increased blood pressure isn’t addressed, including what is at the root of the increase, then the situation could get worse. Stress is a definite contributor to increased blood pressure and the heart problems that tend to result from the medical situation.
What does this mean? The study at least shows how real the stress of debt is and how it can impact the most important part of a person’s life: his or her health. If there are options for debt relief available to consumers, it might be a matter of physical health to work with an attorney who can discuss options such as loan modifications, debt consolidation, bankruptcy and more.
Daily News Miner, “Consumer debt is bad for the economy – and your health,” Roxie Rodgers Dinstel, Sep. 16, 2013
