Why do women live longer than men? This author claims to know the scientific reason

It’s a well-documented phenomenon globally that women tend to outlive men. The exact gap varies by country and over time, but it’s a consistent trend. This difference in longevity is attributed to a complex interplay of biological, behavioral, and societal factors such as chromosomal advantage, hormonal differences with estrogen (in women) which is believed to have protective effects on the cardiovascular system, reducing the risk of heart disease (the leading cause of death in many countries) until after menopause when estrogen levels drop.

Women also generally exhibit stronger immune responses, both in their innate (first line of defense) and adaptive (targeted) immune systems. They tend to have higher levels of infection-fighting white blood cells and more robust antibody production.

Lifestyle factors also play a role with men more prone to risk-taking with younger men, are statistically more likely to engage in risky behaviors.

Men also conduct more dangerous occupations (e.g., construction, mining, military) and have higher rates of accidental deaths (car accidents, workplace incidents).

Men also have higher rates of suicide and are involved to a greater extent in substance use, which include heavy alcohol consumption and on average, men may be more prone to less healthy dietary habits, such as consuming more fatty foods or fast food, compared to women who generally pay more attention to a healthy diet.

Starre Vartan offers insight

According to Vartan, author of a new book: ‘The Stronger Sex’, the female body is built for resilience and longevity.

The new book explores how women have outlived men across almost all ages and locations, including among the “high-mortality” populations who confronted famine in Ukraine, Ireland and Sweden; enslavement in Trinidad; and measles epidemics in Iceland, according to her 2018 study, published in the journal PNAS.

Even newborn girls in these environments had a higher survival rate than newborn boys — a hint that the female survival advantage is rooted in biology.

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