Genetics is to blame for the low life expectancy of men
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Practically in any country, men live less than women. It is believed that this leads to bad habits (smoking, excessive use of alcohol, etc.), as well as the male half of mankind's predilection for risks and dangers (for example, enthusiasm for motorcycles, dangerous sports, etc.).
However, experts came to the conclusion that the cause of death of men is the predisposition of their body to severe diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
According to WHO data, on average, modern people live 71 years, but anywhere in the world, from poor African regions to rich European countries, the male half of the population dies earlier - on average, men live 68 years, women - 73 years.
Specialist on the aging of living organisms Eileen Krimmins noted that scientists now do not understand with what exactly the predisposition of the male to fatal heart and vascular diseases is connected and why this situation persists, regardless of the level of medicine or human income.
However, most scientists continue to associate the shorter life expectancy of men with pernicious habits and attraction to adventurous situations.
Krimmins with colleagues have decided to carry out research in this area and to establish, with what the life expectancy at men and women actually is connected.
To do this, the research team conducted an analysis of mortality statistics, which was conducted from the end of the XIX century to the second third of the twentieth century, when medicine made a significant step forward, especially in the field of conservation and extension of life to man. The statistics included data from thirteen developed countries and specialists during the study identified several interesting facts.
As it turned out, until the last decade of the XIX century, men and women lived about the same time. Further, the mortality rate of women began to decline, while the mortality among men remained almost unchanged. As a result, the risk of death among men is significantly higher between the ages of 50 and 70, compared with women.
Such data led scientists to the idea that in the twentieth century, men were more likely to die because of heart and vascular disease, compared to women. At the same time, the gap between the level of male and female mortality increases (about a hundred years ago, male mortality was 1.5 times higher, in the modern world - 3.5 times).
Even after the research team took into account external factors and bad habits, the gap in the death rate still continued to exist. According to experts, about 70% of men's deaths are due to the fact that the body of men is predisposed to the development of fatal heart and vascular diseases, in the remaining 30% of cases, external factors and bad habits are to blame.
A team of researchers led by Crimmins can not say why women die less from a heart attack, stroke and other heart or vessel pathologies, however, they suggested that this may be related to genetics or nutrition, but in order to test their guesses, scientists a few more studies will be required.
[