Why men die earlier than women

Life expectancy of men has been declining since the 20th century
Although, thanks to medical progress, life expectancy is steadily rising, men seem to benefit less from this development than women. Because men are known to die earlier than women. A research team led by Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez of the University of California, which has studied this phenomenon, attributes man's shortened life expectancy primarily to two factors: smoking and the propensity for cardiovascular disease. The researchers present their results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Men are prone to cardiovascular disease
According to the World Health Organization, girls born in Germany during these years are on average 83.5 years old. In contrast, the boys only reach an average age of 79 years. This trend is relatively new, according to the researchers.

Why women live longer than men. RioPatuca Images - fotolia

In the context of their study, Beltrán-Sánchez and his colleagues examined the mortality rate of birth cohorts between 1880 and 1935 in 13 industrialized countries. The life expectancy of women and men over the age of 40 was analyzed and the influence of factors such as cardiovascular diseases and smoking on the state of health was taken into account. By the end of the 19th century, the life span of the sexes was about the same. At that time, many infectious diseases were raging, through which most people died. It was not until the 20th century that the life expectancy of men and women changed. At this time, chronic diseases that occur in middle age and especially affect men. Because these would in particular tend to vascular disease and tobacco use, the researchers said.

The lifespan of men and women in the age group 50-70 years differed particularly sharply. From 1880 to 1899 men's risk of death was 39 percent higher than that of women. From 1900 to 1919 it was 68 percent higher. For people of birth cohorts from 1920 to 1935, the risk increased even by 90 percent. Only from the age of 90 years, the life span is the same again, the researchers report.

Smoking and a tendency to cardiovascular disease are causes for shorter life expectancy of men
The differences in life expectancy between men and women are mainly attributable to two factors. First, smoking has a significant impact on men's shorter lifespan. Tobacco use averages 30 percent of the difference. In countries where boys start smoking at an early age, such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Australia, it is even 40 percent, according to the researchers.

On the other hand, the shorter life expectancy of men is due to the tendency to heart disease. "Heart disease is the main reason associated with increased male mortality, they make the biggest contribution in the birth cohorts from 1900 to 1935," the researchers write. Overall, the mortality of men with such disorders between 50 and 60 years is three times higher than that of women. Cardiovascular disease accounts for 40 percent of the difference in life expectancy.

The researchers attribute the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in men mainly to a high-fat diet, their increased tendency to hypertension and lower levels of HDL cholesterol.