A study published in early November in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine showed that the life expectancy gap between men and women is widening, with women living on average 6 years longer.
The study analyzed mortality rate data from the National Center for Health Statistics to examine changes in life expectancy from 2010 to 2021. The results showed that the average life expectancy in the United States has declined for the second consecutive year, from 78.8 years (2019) to 77 years (2020) and 76.1 years (2021).
According to the statistics, women will live about 5.8 years longer than men. This is the largest difference in life expectancy between genders since 1996. The smallest difference in recent history was 4.8 years, which was determined in 1996.
In Vietnam, the life expectancy gap between men and women is 5.3 years (women 76.3, men 71 years), according to the 2019 Census.
So why do women live longer than men?
Factors such as diet, exercise habits, underlying health conditions, habits, and genetics all affect a person’s actual life expectancy. Researchers note that women have a lower mortality rate from heart disease and lung cancer, which they believe is related to differences in smoking behavior.
The study also found that Covid-19 is an important factor in the latest data. During the peak of the pandemic, men were more likely to die from the virus. The adjusted mortality rate for Covid-19 is 131 deaths per 100,000 males compared to 82 deaths per 100,000 females.
According to Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, this may be due to men being more likely to have comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, lung disease, and heart disease, which increase the risk of developing severe forms of Covid-19.
There are other factors that may be related, although they are only hypothetical. Dr. Thomas Russo, head of the infectious disease department at the University at Buffalo in New York, explains the importance of the X chromosome in immune response (women have two X chromosomes). Dr. Russo also notes that some data suggests that women have lower levels of ACE2 receptors in the lungs, where the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds to cells and causes disease.
More prevalent addictive substance use among men is also a contributing factor to the difference in life expectancy. Statistics show that over 13% of men smoke, compared to 10% of women, and over 12% of men have alcohol use disorder, while for women, this number is 9.1%.
Another reason why women live longer than men is that they are less likely to engage in risky behaviors that can lead to accidents and injuries. Women tend to choose healthier food in their daily lives and are more willing to see a doctor compared to men.
One final factor that scientists mention is that men tend to suppress their personal emotions compared to women.
Avigail Lev, a psychologist and founder and director of the CBT Bay Area in California, believes that suppressing emotions and shorter life expectancy are related.
“Men are socialized to suppress their emotions, while women tend to have more intimate social relationships, providing them with support they can rely on,” the expert said.
Suppressing emotions can increase stress, cortisol levels, negatively affect sleep, weaken relationships and connections between individuals, and increase the risk of mental health disorders, including trauma, depression, and anxiety.
3 behavior changes to help increase longevity
Everyday activities such as housework and gardening have similar benefits to exercise, helping to reduce the risk of disease, increase energy, and vitality.
Researcher Dan Buettner of National Geographic (USA) has spent years studying the secrets of Blue Zones in Italy, Greece, Japan, and Costa Rica, where people live the longest and healthiest lives in the world.
He found that people in Blue Zones have low rates of diabetes, heart disease, and chronic diseases despite rarely exercising. However, their lives are filled with natural movements like gardening, watering plants, and doing housework.
Below are the habits that they apply to increase their longevity.
Limit sitting on the couch, spend time moving
Okinawa, Japan is a typical example of a Blue Zone where people are more likely to live over 100 years old. A unique feature of Okinawans’ daily lives is that their homes have relatively few furnishings. People often sit on the floor, move around, and use more muscles in their activities.
“We found that 103-year-olds stood up and down 30 times a day, like doing 20 squats. They are strengthening their core for the lower body. They are improving balance,” Buettner said.
Okinawans do this without trying. However, if your job doesn’t involve physical activity, you can do similar exercises. Take regular breaks, do simple exercises like squats, push-ups, or planks.
Keep the house clean
According to Buettner, in the Nicoya Blue Zone in Costa Rica, people exercise better by doing household chores by hand. The activities around keeping the house clean, preparing food, and unconscious movements at the end of the day are similar to physical activities.
Moving as part of a daily habit is called non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). It takes up more time than exercise.
Recognizing the power of NEAT can help save time by combining housework with the health benefits of exercise.
Gardening
Another way to exercise is gardening. According to archives, most Okinawans have a garden. Activities like mowing the lawn, watering plants… help increase mobility, strength, and endurance without putting too much strain on the body.
“Spending one or two hours a day gardening is a light, low-intensity physical activity that is beneficial for health,” Buettner said.
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