On the Benefits of Estrogens in the Context of Longevity Differences by Gender

Why do women tend to live longer than men? There are a good many possible explanations for this well characterized observation. Gender differences in the pace of aging appears to be a robust outcome of the intersection of natural selection with a given mating strategy, but that doesn't say much about the specific mechanisms involved. Sex hormones are the obvious starting point for any investigation of the relevant molecular biology. In humans, estrogen provides numerous physiological benefits in addition to being a sex hormone, and so a higher estrogen level in women is a possible candidate mechanism. The tudy reported in today's open access paper is an interesting examination of some of the outcomes on metabolism in women who undergo induced menopause followed by estrogen replacement therapy. The effects of these changes are so sweeping that it is hard to separate those relevant to aging: evidence tends to be more suggestive than conclusive in this sort of investigation. No one study will be compelling on its own. The weight of literature does lean in the direction of a sizable role for estrogen in determining a slower pace of aging in women versus men, however. Estrogen Replacement Therapy Induces Antioxidant and Longevity-Related Genes in Women after Medically Induced Menopause The great increase in average life expectancy during the 20th century emerges as one of society's greatest achievements. As a matter of fact, in the last two decades, life exp...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs