If you go to your class reunion every year, you will eventually start to notice a smaller number of males compared to females. By age 100 about 85 percent of survivors will be women. Women live longer than men in nearly every country of the world and even in most animal species. Biology is undoubtedly a factor, but behavior, lifestyle choices and access to health care also play a role.
During most of the last century, while several wars were being waged, the gap in the United States widened until it reached 7.8 years in 1975 and then started to narrow. Life expectancy in 2004, according to the most recent figures, was 80.4 years for women versus 75.2 years for men, a difference of 5.2 years. As a woman, you may want to take a long, hard look at all of the factors contributing to the gender gap so you can build on your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
BIOLOGY: Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, and women are as likely as men to die of heart disease–but generally 10 to 20 years later. While many men develop high cholesterol and even suffer from heart attacks in their 40s and 50s, women are more likely to maintain a healthy cholesterol profile until after menopause.
The larger hips that go with being a woman may be one signal of significant health benefits. According to a Swedish study, men and women with narrow hips had a risk of diabetes two to three times greater than that of other subjects. In both cases, hormones may be involved. While men tend to gain weight around the abdomen, women gain it around the bottom and thighs. And studies show that it’s better to be pear- than apple-shaped when it comes to avoiding heart disease.
Abdominal obesity is now recognized as a risk factor for heart disease; regardless of weight or body mass index, and a waist circumference that exceeds 33 inches for a woman is predictive of diabetes, heart disease and early death.
Menstruation is often cited as a health advantage because it’s a regular way to reduce levels of iron in the body. Too much iron is believed to be a risk factor for heart disease, prostate cancer and the production of free radicals that are linked to aging and cell death.
GENDER ROLES, HEALTH BEHAVIORS: Many males have been killed in war over the past 100 years; others have died in battles in the bar, on the street corner or on the highway. Whether because of hormones or gender stereotypes, men are more likely than women to engage in aggressive or risk-taking behavior.
Men are also more prone than women to drink to excess, smoke, abuse drugs and engage in reckless behavior. Twice as many men as women die in motor vehicle accidents; four times as many commit suicide.
Perhaps for many of the same reasons, men are less likely than women to follow preventive health practices or seek health care at the first signs of an illness. In doctors’ offices, women make 150 million more visits each year.
LIFESTYLE: Regardless of hormones and biology, life and death is usually a matter of the choices you make.
Women are more likely than men to eat a healthy diet and to take action against excess weight. They are less likely, however, to exercise. And in a woman who doesn’t exercise, being underweight may increase the risk of osteoporosis and frailty–leading to falls, fractures and early death.
Women have as much or more to gain from exercise as men; yet 60 percent of women do not get the recommended level of exercise and 25 percent do not exercise at all.
The smoking gun, in terms of lifestyle and longevity, is the cigarette. When the gender gap was widening during the last century, men were taking up smoking at a rate faster than women. In the 1960s, 52 percent of men smoked compared to 34 percent of women.
But as the dangers of smoking become more widely known, men quit smoking at a faster rate. By 2005, the smoking rate was 23.9 percent for men and 18.1 percent for women.
It’s estimated that smoking accounts for as much as 25 percent of the difference in life expectancy for men and women. In pursuing a long, satisfying life, it’s one of the most important choices a woman has to make.
Written By: Kerri Musselman, Pharm.D.
