Why do women live longer than men? Are "testosterone bursts" more likely to engage in risky behavior?
Estrogen Reduces Cardiovascular Risk, Testosterone Increases Risk Behavior
How long you can live is “destined”? Scientists believe that gender has a greater impact than you think. According to information released by the Ministry of Interior, the average life expectancy of Taiwanese is 80.9 years, men are 77.7 years, and women are 84.2 years. In other words, women can live nearly 7 years longer! In fact, it is a common phenomenon in countries all over the world that women live longer than men. The key reason may be the difference in hormone secretion between men and women.
Virginia Zarulli, associate professor of demography at the University of Southern Denmark, said there are two biological reasons why women live longer than men. Women produce more estrogen and less testosterone than men, and estrogen has been shown to help women reduce risks such as cardiovascular disease.
On the other hand, high androgen secretion is associated with endometrial cancer and breast cancer in women, and prostate cancer in men. Zarulli also pointed out that testosterone hormones are biologically linked to risky and aggressive behaviors, and can also increase the risk of death at a young age.
Chromosome differences between men and women linked to genetic diseases
In addition to differences in hormone secretion, chromosomes may also affect lifespan. Women have two X chromosomes, while men have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. However, the Y chromosome lacks some additional genetic material.
When one of the X chromosomes has a faulty mutation, the other chromosome in women can help repair it, but men lack this genetic material. These conditions also occur in genetic diseases such as hemophilia and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Why do men live shorter lives? The proportion of women visiting a doctor is 30% higher
However, the difference in life span between men and women does not entirely depend on genetic material and endocrine. Zarulli pointed out that in the same living environment in peaceful times, women’s life expectancy may be only one to two years longer than men. This may be partly due to biological factors. Why do contemporary women live more than 4 or 5 years longer than men?
Zarulli believes that women’s survival advantage is related to the lifestyle of modern society. The proportion of men smoking and drinking alcohol is much higher than that of women. US CDC data shows that the risk of alcoholism in men is twice that of women. Another global data shows that 35% of men smoke, while only 6% of women smoke. In addition, women also pay more attention to dietary nutrition, while men are more likely to prefer high-fat foods and fast meals. Finally, there are also differences in the degree of “trust in professionalism”. Women are 33% more likely to seek medical treatment on average than men.
Zarulli emphasized that biological factors and social environmental factors are often linked to each other. A review of modern social patterns reveals that women’s longevity is a gradually evolving trend. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, it was not until the early 20th century that the average life expectancy of women surpassed that of men. Prior to this, there was no significant difference in life expectancy between men and women due to high mortality from infectious diseases, and many women died during childbirth.
Men “think” they are in good health, but being overweight and obese may affect their lifespan
As the times evolve, women’s social behavior has also begun to affect their life expectancy. Statistics in 2005 found that the proportion of women smoking has increased, causing their average life expectancy to be 2.3 years shorter than expected. Interestingly, statistics from Taiwan’s National Health Administration found that the proportion of adults over 18 years old who rated themselves as “in good health” was 80.8% for men, higher than 78.4% for women. Apparently there are some differences in the way men and women view health issues.
The National Health Department reminds that the average life expectancy of women is higher than that of men. The reasons are that men smoke more often, eat betel nut, and have a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity risk factors than women. In other words, although innate gender cannot be changed, acquired living habits are the key to determining the length of life. Remember that you are responsible for your own health, and don’t blame everything on genes and biology!
