Why do women live longer than men?
It’s a simple fact of life that women live longer than men. Ever since the late 19th century when childbirth began to become less life-threatening to women, the fairer sex has seen their life expectancy skyrocket, but even prior to this, men appeared to have a shorter lifespan. The question is, why?
Researchers have studied longevity for centuries now, but it appears we are no closer to a conclusion on why there is such a large gap (about 5 per cent) between the two sexes’ life expectancies.
“Humans are the only species in which one sex is known to have a ubiquitous survival advantage,” writes the University of Alabama’s Dr Steven Austad and Dr Kathleen Fischer in their paper ‘Sex differences in lifespan’. “Indeed, the sex difference in longevity may be one of the most robust features of human biology.”
Some researchers believe hormonal differences could be the culprit. The massive surge in testosterone during male sexual maturation is thought to be a factor, and if this is true then the damage might be done by the end of puberty. In fact, analysis of 19th century Korean data found that eunuchs tended to live 20 years longer than the other men in the Imperial Court of the Chosun Dynasty. Other theories include differences in lifestyle, the immune system, cell health and chromosomal differences.
But all of these possibilities don’t account for one very strange biological fact. “For all their robustness relative to men in terms of survival, women on average appear to be in poorer health than men through adult life,” Austad and Fischer write.
In fact, women are more prone to Alzheimer’s disease, bone and joint problems (such as arthritis and osteoporosis) and are more likely to die from diabetes.
Tell us in the comments below, why do you think women live longer than men?
Related links:
100-year-old claims gin is the secret to longevity
Why happiness equals better health and a longer life
8 foods that will help you live longer