Why do women live longer than men?

Women live about 5% more than men.

In the year 1800 we could live, on average, 37 years. Today, thanks to scientific and social advances, life expectancy exceeds 80. But there are things that do not change: women live longer than men. Currently life expectancy is 83.5 for women and 79.5 for men. Thus, women live about 5% more than men.

Although this has been known for decades, only recent causes have been investigated. Here's how:

Lifestyle

For many years it has been believed that men dug their own tomb, because, because of their lifestyle, their body "suffers" a greater wear. Whether working in a mine or lifting a lot of weight, jobs that require greater physical strength end up taking a toll. But if this is the reason why women live longer than men, the difference would be narrowing as men and women are converging on the same sedentary jobs.

It has also been speculated that tobacco, alcohol, and poor eating habits may shorten life expectancy. An example of this is located in Russia, where men live, on average, 13 years younger than women. It is quite possible that, in this case, the great difference is due to the bad habits of men.

Formerly, in Europe, men had a less healthy lifestyle than women, although at present this difference is no longer so obvious. In addition, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and gibbons do not smoke or drink, and females of these species, curiously, also live longer than males. Given the circumstances, the answer may be on the chromosomes.

Chromosomes

While women have two X chromosomes, men have one X chromosome and one Y. This means that women have "extra" copies of the genes included in the X chromosome and that if one of their genes is defective, their function may Be replaced by the "healthy" copy gene. In contrast, men only have one X chromosome, so if any of the genes located on this chromosome fails, they do not have a replacement one.

In many cases it is not necessary to have copies of more, although in others it supposes a fundamental advantage and can subtly alter the way in which the cells age. This is the case for genes responsible for repairing genetic errors, some of which are found on the X chromosome.

The result of this difference is that, in men, the cells work poorly more often, with a greater risk of getting sick. In fact, research from the Medical and Dental University of Tokyo, Japan, found that men's immune system weakens earlier than women's, which is why, according to researchers, men have a longer life expectancy Reduced.

Darwin's disciples consider that it is an evolutionary strategy that gave to our masculine and feminine ancestors different qualities that assure the survival of the species:

During mating, women would be more likely to choose alpha males, overflowing with testosterone. But once the babies are born, the men would be more expendable, since the mothers would take care of them. From this point of view, female longevity is more necessary than male longevity.

Testosterone. The case of the eunuchs

Perhaps the main responsible is testosterone, since it directs most of the masculine characteristics, from a more conspicuous constitution to a more hairy torsos.

A Korean scientist Han-Nam Park recently analyzed the detailed archives of life in the Imperial Court of the Chosun Dynasty, Korea, and found that the life expectancy of the eunuchs was much longer. Their analyzes, based on records dating from the nineteenth century, included information from 81 eunuchs whose testicles had been removed before puberty. The study entitled "Life expectancy of eunuchs" was published in several scientific journals in 2012.

Park found that eunuchs lived about 70 years, 14.4 to 19.1 years longer than the other members of the court. Not even the kings, who enjoyed better living conditions, managed to reach their age.

Although other studies with eunuchs have not shown such pronounced differences, it appears that people (and animals) with no testicles live longer.

Another more recent study was conducted in several US institutions for the mentally ill, where, in the nineteenth century, they castrated patients as part of their "treatment." James Hamilton and Gordon Mestler, authors of the study, compared the life expectancy of 297 neutered patients with those of 735 intact inmates. The result? The castrated lived 13.6 years more than the rest, but only those who had undergone the operation before reaching the age of 15.

Testosterone strengthens men's bodies in the short term, however, given the results of the studies, it also leaves them more exposed to heart disease, infections and cancer.

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This is a translation of this article: Nosabesnada