Research suggests that men could reduce the gap of longevity, imitating some of the habits that women have, as more regular visits to the doctor and attention to diet and exercise.
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Regarding longevity, women are much more likely to survive men. In the United States, the gap widened to 5.8 years in 2021. On average, men can expect to live a little under 76 years, compared to 81 for women.
A new study by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, shows that this gap is true in different species. And the results – published in the journal Scientific advances – suggest that there may be ways that human males can reduce the gap.
The study revealed among 528 species of mammals – including the relative closest to humans, chimpanzee – females often have the advantage. Women live around 13% longer in 72% of species.
A mixture of factors explains the gap, including genetics, mating habits – which tend to cause risky behavior in men and guardian responsibilities.
“What we have found is that this female advantage in longevity is part of the evolution of mammals. It dates back millions of years,” explains the author of the Fernando Colchero study. Women have two X chromosomes, compared to an X and Y for men, who can provide a protective “backup” against potentially harmful genetic mutations. But the differences extend far beyond that.
Colchero indicates the physical behaviors and changes that males in many species assume to mate and reproduce. For example, male deer (Bucks) are larger and they cultivate wood during the breeding season to report domination and fight rivals of coupling in order to attract women. “This is an evolutionary pressure, certainly, to be able to go to the next generation as many genes as possible,” explains Colchero. “But it has a cost in their survival.”
Risky behavior shorten life
Although these behaviors may seem far from reality for humans, there are parallels. Men tend to adopt more risky behavior at higher rates, including smoking and alcohol consumption. Although the gaps have shrunk, they are always significant.
“Men are also more likely than women to die from alcoholism, drug use, suicide and homicide,” explains Alan Geller, lecturer in social and behavioral sciences at Harvard Th Chan School of Public Health.
Geller is studying the disparity of heart disease and cancer deaths in men and women. Because men have been more likely to smoke tobacco, they die at higher levels of lung cancer. Smoking also increases the risk of heart disease. This is a clear example of how risky behavior can shorten the lifespan. There are certain factors that men cannot control. For example, estrogen has a protective effect on the heart.
Men also die at significantly higher rates of melanoma. “It is fascinating because the rate of incidence of melanoma is a little higher in men and women, but the mortality rate for melanoma is much higher for men,” said Geller. Ultraviolet sun.
But it is much more than biology that puts men at a higher risk of death. Men are less likely to protect themselves from the sun. A survey published in 2022 in the Weekly Report of CDC mortality and morbidity, revealed that only 12.3% of men still wear a sunscreen when spending more than an hour outside by a sunny day.
In addition, men are less likely to detect cancers. “They are less likely to go to the doctor to request an examination of skin cancer or examine their own skin,” says Geller. “And therefore you have a double blow”, increasing their risks.
Caregivers live longer
The Max Planck study found a correlation between care and longevity. Sex that spends more time taking care of offspring tends to live longer. An evolutionary explanation is that the guardian’s parent must survive until his offspring is independent.
Colchero says that the evolutionary pressures that have produced this gender deviation cannot be overlooked. But, in humans, he hopes that the gap can be reduced. “There are ways we can reduce it to a certain extent,” he said, changing behavior and standards. Gender roles have evolved and many men take care of their children and focus on their own health. For example, men who earn more money are more likely to wear sunscreen.
“Imate some of the behaviors that women have,” can be useful, “he said. “Make sure we go to the doctor,” for example. And Geller says that much more could be done to promote the importance of preventive care, including recommended screening.
And remember: the main risk factors for chronic diseases from which most Americans die, including cancer and heart disease, can be reduced by changing our habits, for men and women. Here is the essential of the life of the American Heart Association to prevent the disease: eat better, be more active, stop tobacco, healthy sleep, manage weight, control cholesterol and manage blood sugar and blood pressure.
