Aside from the funny videos in which they put themselves in great danger, it is a scientific fact that men live less than women even if they do nothing. In fact, the situation is so serious that a study on this subject shows that 67% of people who reach the age of 85 and above are women.
So what’s wrong with men that they have a shorter life expectancy than us, that is, women? This event has to do with both habits and some underlying problems with their genes. If you wish, let’s learn all this together.
In ancient times, the situation was not much different.
Data collected by Sweden on demographics as far back as 1800 show that even back then, women lived to be 33 and men to 31. The biggest reason for this is wars, men have a much more active lifestyle than women, alcohol and finally tobacco use.
At first glance, you might think that men live less because they prefer a more action-packed life. However, when you look at today, you can see that women have an active life just as much as men, and they do not fall behind in the use of cigarettes and tobacco.
Men like to take more risks than women
As you know, it is the frontal lobe of our brain that enables us to evaluate or judge the consequences of an action. Research to date reveals that men’s frontal lobes develop later than women.
We can say that it is precisely this slow development that causes harm to oneself or others by not being able to control one’s nerves by driving while drunk. A 2007 study shows that men are two to four times more likely than women to be harmed by murder, suicide, and intentional injury.
In other words, men realize that an action they take can bring bad results later than women. This causes them to take more risks, even putting their lives in danger.
Average doctor visits are much lower than for women
Many studies to date show that men avoid routine doctor visits for various reasons. Let’s take as an example the research conducted by the Cleveland Clinic, in which a total of 500 men participated; 60% of respondents absolutely refuse to go to the doctor routinely.
Men who spend hours on many activities and delay their doctor’s visits, which would take 90 minutes in 6 months, naturally realize it too late when they have any serious illness. This makes treatment more difficult and it is a little too late to take measures to live longer.
The biggest answer to the question of why men live less: Evolution
As you know, both males and females have double chromosomes. Women have two X chromosomes, while men have X and Y chromosomes. Because women have two X chromosomes, they have a healthy copy of each gene in their DNA. So if there is a problem in any gene, they can replace it with a backup.
For men, the situation is somewhat different. Because they have only one X and Y chromosome each, they cannot have a “healthier gene” copy. Because of the lack of supplements, their cells are more likely than women to be damaged, which has the potential to expose them to more serious diseases.
Women don’t have a biological advantage either.
Women benefit from the estrogen hormone called the “youth elixir” throughout their lives. This hormone, which acts as an antioxidant in the body, can clean harmful chemicals that damage cells, while reducing bad cholesterol, while increasing good cholesterol, which lowers the risk of heart attack.
Although the testosterone that men have makes the body stronger in the short run, it causes men to live less in the long run. This hormone not only increases bad cholesterol, but also reduces good cholesterol.
Men are more prone to suicide than women
Many studies to date, including by scientists from the University of Notthingham, show that men are more suicidal than women.
Interestingly, women try to commit suicide just as much as men, but their methods are much less deadly than men. So once men decide to commit suicide, they set out on this path by completely guaranteeing their death.
Another reason why the death rate due to suicide is higher in men leads us back to the factor of “less doctor visits”. Research by scientists from the University of Notthingham shows that men are much less likely to seek psychological help from a specialist than women.
Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5
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