Fact: The “stronger sex” is regularly outlived by the women in their lives.
Fiction: They live more stressful lives which is the main contributor to the early mortality rate amongst our men.
True, generally speaking, women live longer than men, with some studies suggesting that males have a mortality rate that’s up to 60% higher than females. This difference in life expectancy was previously blamed on the assumption that men are more prone to work in high risk jobs, as well as being more prone to being overweight or prone to illnesses, such as heart disease and cancers, linked to lifestyle choices. Mmm … I don’t buy it! Men and women live equally adventurous lives; such a simple explanation no longer rings true.
Ok, so few people can expect to live as long as Misao Okawa of Osaka, Japan, who recently died at the age of 117. Good news though, life expectancy is at an all-time high according to a report released by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The fact that we’re now on average living to the ripe old age of 78 years isn’t that surprising, but there’s another stat that is. A girl born in 2012 can expect to live to 81.2 years – almost 5 years longer than a boy born in the same year, who is likely to live to the age of 76.4. Why is that?
Turns out, the significant disability for men in making it to retirement, is the Y-chromosome. Researchers from the Uppsala University in Sweden, say that the Y-chromosome, or specifically the loss thereof, may be to blame for men’s shortened lifespans. Who knew, it’s all in the chromosomes!
Only found in men, the Y-chromosome is present in every cell in their bodies. But in some men it starts to disappear as they get older. Research has shown that these men are more likely to die young and to suffer from a range of cancers.
Researchers therefore hypothesise that the loss of the Y-chromosome in blood cells leads them to lose part of their immune function. Since women don’t carry the Y-chromosome, the phenomenon may help to explain why we, “the weaker sex” have longer lives.
So, ladies, since we are the CEO’s of our family’s health, and – since they won’t know how to do it themselves anyway! – Let’s look at a few interesting life hacks to increase the lifespan of the men in our lives. Encourage him to:
We all know the way to a man’s health is through a woman! Help your man to pave his path through a century by introducing these simple, yet fabulous life hacks.
Source: www.lifeadvancer.com, www.lifehack.org, www.dailymail.co.uk, health.com, www.netdoctor.co.uk, news.health.com, Stanford.edu, www.mh.co.za, www.cia.gov, www.msn.com, www.malehealthcenter.com, iheartintelligence.com
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.