Globally and especially in developed countries, we can say with certainty that women live longer but also healthier years than men. Women live on average 4 years and six months longer than men.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the year 2016 the average life expectancy of the world population was 72 years. But when we divide this average between men and women, the female average is 74 years and two months against 69 years and eight months for men. Women are more likely than men to celebrate their 100th birthday. According to the 2010 census, there were 53,364 people in the United States who are over 100 years old. Of these, only 9 162 were men, compared to 44 202 women. Starting from the beginning of their lives, girls are superior as premature boys have a worse prognosis than girls. From birth, males are more vulnerable (7.7 versus 5.8 per 1000 infants die at birth) than females.
But why do women live longer than men? Where does this advantage come from?
1. Genetic Differences
The uneven playing field for boys starts from early in life. The Y chromosome tends to develop genetic mutations more often than X chromosomes and the absence of the second X chromosome in males means that the abnormalities linked to X among boys are not supplemented by the second, normal version. Survival in the womb is also less reliable in male embryos. Developmental disorders are also more common in boys and some of them can shorten life expectancy. The increased female resistance to disease may be due to the chromosome. If you have a genetic defect on the X chromosome and you are a woman, you have a backup. But if you are a man you do not have a backup. In man, the existence of a chromosome (X) in his inheritance (XY) predisposes him to a greater susceptibility to diseases, such as those inherited in a recessive form of the X chromosome, for example, hemophilia. In women, due to the second X chromosome (XX), the aging process slows down. In women, due to the second X chromosome (XX), the aging process slows down. Cellular aging diseases – arteriosclerosis, certain forms of cancer – are therefore less common in women. Baby boys are 20 to 30 percent more likely to die in late pregnancy. They are also 14 percent more likely to be born prematurely.
2. Men Take Bigger Risks
The death rate in males increases dramatically in the late teens when their testosterone levels rise. Young men – because of their temperament and hormones – are more prone than women to accidents of any kind. According to experts, this may be due to high-risk activities that some men engage in, such as fighting and riding bicycles and cars at very high speeds. The frontal lobe of the brain – the part that controls the judgment and processing of the effects of the action – grows slower in boys and young men than in women. This may contribute to the fact that more boys and men die in accidents or as a result of violence than girls and women. Examples include cycling, drunk driving, and murder. This lack of judgment and consideration of the consequences can also contribute to life-threatening decisions among young men, such as smoking or heavy drinking.
3. Hormones
During adolescence, boys turn into men and girls into women as a result of hormonal changes. The death rate in males increases dramatically in the late teens when their testosterone levels rise. Korean scientist Han-Nam Park analyzed the records of the Imperial Court of the Chosun Dynasty of the 19th century a few years ago. The scientist compared the life expectancy of 81 eunuchs (who had been castrated before puberty) with the other men at court. Their analysis revealed that the eunuchs lived to be around 70 years old, compared to an average of just 50 years among the other men at court. Three eunuchs even got to celebrate their 100th birthday.
The main reason why women eventually live longer and healthier years is their estrogen. Estrogens, give women their survival instinct, as a result of which they make healthier choices and adopt the best possible habits. Estrogens seem to work as neuroprotectants for women and this has been proven by research done in cases of brain injuries, epilepsy, and dementia that occur with age. The female sex hormone estrogen also acts as an “antioxidant,” meaning it absorbs poisonous chemicals that cause stress in cells. In animal experiments, females who lack estrogen tend not to live as long as those who continue to have the female sex hormone. The female sex hormone also makes it easier to get rid of bad cholesterol and therefore may offer some protection against heart disease.
4. Weaker Immune System Among Men
According to the study in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, it is shown that the immune system of a man is weaker, and therefore more vulnerable to diseases. Apparently, this could be due to testosterone, which suppresses the immune system and lowers the defenses of men at the same time. W
hile women have more resistant female hormones and thus protect the immune system. According to research from the University of Ghent, in Belgium, women have two X chromosomes, men have only one, and the second female chromosome offers greater resistance to fight diseases. In man, the existence of a chromosome (X) in his inheritance (XY) predisposes him to a greater susceptibility to diseases, such as those inherited in a recessive form of the X chromosome, for example, hemophilia.
5. Men Have More Dangerous Jobs
Men outnumber women in some of the most dangerous occupations, including military combat, firefighting, and construction work. Men do more “difficult” occupations that are more often associated with accidents at work, etc. Men are more likely to have work-related injuries and stress, which can lead to heart disease. They even try a dangerous sport in which they can risk their lives.
6. Men Commit Suicide More Often Than Women
In the case of suicide, it is known that the number of attempts is 6 times more frequent in women than in men, while on the contrary, the number of completed suicides is four times more in men than in women. Although women make more attempts, the suicide rate leading to suicide is higher in men (except China, one of the few countries in the world where more women than men die by suicide). This is true despite the fact that depression is considered normal among women and women make many (non-lethal) suicide attempts. Some argue that this tendency of men to avoid seeking stress care and cultural practices that prevent men from seeking the help of mental illness.
7. Men Are Less Socially Connected
Women tend to talk about their ailments much more than men. They tend to have a network of friends with whom they can discuss their health problems, while in men the number of friends is lower and they seek them out of common interests. On the other hand, women discuss their complaints with their doctors specifically, while men try to minimize their health problems. Because of this, women become more aware of their symptoms, making them more prone to depression, anxiety disorders, and other psychosomatic disorders.
8. Men Avoid Doctors
Women tend to live longer, but also, from a health point of view, experience more discomfort, which is why they consult the doctor more frequently than men. It is known within the medical community that women go to the doctor more frequently than men; that hospital beds are occupied by more than 60% by women, and that women consume a greater number of drugs prescribed by doctors. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, men are more likely to miss routine health screens and are less likely than women to have visited doctors of any kind. Men have a harder time going to the doctor and completely neglect preventive examinations. The clearest example is that only 15-20% of men undergo routine cancer prevention exams, compared to 34% of women, who fear breast or womb cancer.
9. Men Tend To Have More Unhealthy Habits
Men smoke and drink alcoholic beverages in greater quantities than women. Men suffer a greater number of vehicle accidents due to speeding, which is coupled with alcohol consumption. However, in recent years, women drink and smoke in increasing numbers. Scientists tend to say that if a man is a smoker, obese, and even worse and hypertensive, he has the “recipe” for premature mortality. Due to heavy smoking, men die 5 times more often than women, from bronchopulmonary cancer.
10. Women Have A Stronger Heart
According to the Spanish Heart Foundation, men have a higher risk of heart disease. On average, a woman’s cardiovascular risk is equivalent to that of a man 20 years older. This could be explained by hormones since the estrogens produced by the ovary have a protective factor. The Foundation explains that after menopause the risk of cardiovascular diseases in women multiplies.
11. Women Are Biologically Different
Women go through different biological experiences, such as menstruation, conception, childbirth, and menopause, and these events make them more realistic in terms of their own way of being violated, while men cultivate the illusion that they cannot get sick.
12. Men Are Larger Than Women.
In many species of animals, larger animals are found to die younger than smaller ones. Although the magnitude of this effect is uncertain in humans, it can work against male longevity. Testosterone makes the male body bigger and stronger. A male child tends to be larger and has a higher risk of injury during childbirth.
What Can We Do To Help Men Live Longer?
While there is not much that can be done about some of these things, but some are modifiable. For example, as men tend to avoid medical care more often than women, making men report symptoms (including depression) and frequent follow-up of chronic medical problems (such as high blood pressure) can counteract some tendency for men to die young.
It is also worth noting that the survival gap between men and women reflects a common trend among large populations. In fact, many women die before their husbands. Individual risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes, or a solid history of breast cancer, can outweigh the general trend of longer longevity among women.
We will probably be more successful in the future in preventing early deaths among men. Many of these efforts will significantly impact men’s health; the gender gap between the elderly may eventually be narrowed. Until then, men have to do everything to stay healthy. However, statistics do not lie.
