Why men often die earlier than women

My wife recently asked me, “Why do you assume you’ll die before me?” Her question caught me by surprise. But it’s true, I have made that assumption. So, I answered, as matter-of-factly as I could, with one word: statistics. I knew that, on average, women live longer than men. In fact, 57% of all those ages 65 and older are female. By age 85, 67% are women. The average lifespan is about 5 years longer for women than men in the U.S., and about 7 years longer worldwide. It’s not hard to see the gender gap among the elderly. A glance around most nursing homes or assisted living facilities in the U.S. often tells the story: women will usually outnumber men, and the magnitude of the difference is often striking. I’m also told that when a man moves into a residential setting dominated by the geriatric set, he tends to be popular; and that’s especially true if he still drives. Advertisers know this as well. I recently saw an ad for an organization called “A Place for Mom” that helps families find assisted living or other services for senior citizens. And while they help men as well as women, the name of the company reflects how much bigger the elderly female market is. So why do men, on average, die first? There are many reasons why the ratio of men to women (which is roughly equal in young adulthood) starts to favor women over time. Among the most powerful factors? Men tend to take bigger risks. Some of the reason seems to be “biological destiny.” The fron...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Men's Health Source Type: news