A study published in early November in the American journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that the life expectancy gap between men and women is widening, with women living an average of six years longer.
The research analyzed data on mortality rates from the National Center for Health Statistics to examine changes in life expectancy from 2010 to 2021. It found that life expectancy in the US has declined for the second consecutive year, falling from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77 years in 2020 and 76.1 years in 2021.
According to this statistic, women will live on average 5.8 years longer than men. This is the largest difference in life expectancy between the sexes since 1996. The smallest gap in recent history was 4.8 years, recorded in 1996.
In Vietnam, the life expectancy gap between men and women is 5.3 years (76.3 for women and 71 for men), according to the 2019 Population Census data.
Why do women live longer than men?
Factors such as diet, exercise habits, underlying health conditions, habits, and genetics all influence an individual’s actual life expectancy. Researchers note that women have lower cardiovascular mortality rates and lower lung cancer mortality rates, which they attribute to differences in smoking behavior.
The study also showed that Covid-19 was a significant factor in the latest data. At the peak of the pandemic, men were more likely to die from the virus. The age-adjusted mortality rate for Covid-19 was 131 deaths per 100,000 males compared to 82 deaths per 100,000 females.
According to Amesh A. Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Health Center, this could be because men are more likely to have comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, lung disease, and heart disease, all of which increase the risk of developing severe forms of Covid-19.
There may be other related factors, although these are speculative. Dr. Thomas Russo, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Buffalo in New York, explains that the X chromosome is important for immune response (women have two X chromosomes). Dr. Russo also notes that some data suggest that females have lower levels of ACE2 receptors in their lungs, which is where the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds to cells and causes infection.
The higher prevalence of substance abuse among men is also a contributing factor to the life expectancy gap. Statistics show that over 13% of men smoke, compared to 10% of women, and more than 12% of men have alcohol use disorders, while the figure is 9.1% for women.
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 also tend to make healthier food choices in their daily lives and are more willing to see a doctor for health issues than men.
The final factor mentioned by scientists is that men tend to suppress their emotions, compared to women.
Avigail Lev, a psychologist and founder and director of the Bay Area CBT Center in California, believes that emotion suppression and shorter life expectancy are linked.
“Men are socially conditioned to suppress their emotions, while women tend to have more intimate social relationships, providing them with the support they can rely on,” said the expert.
Emotion suppression can increase stress, raise 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 habit changes to increase longevity
Daily activities such as housework and gardening have similar benefits to exercise, reducing the risk of illness, increasing energy and vitality.
National Geographic (US) researcher Dan Buettner has spent many years uncovering the secrets of the 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 very low rates of diabetes, heart disease, and chronic illnesses, even though they rarely exercise. However, their lives are usually very active, including activities such as weeding, watering plants, and doing housework.
Here are the habit changes for longevity that they practice.
Limit sofa sitting; engage in physical activity
Okinawa, Japan, is a prime example of a Blue Zone, where people are more likely to live past the age of 100. A unique feature of the Okinawans’ daily lives is that their homes are relatively sparse. They often sit on floor mats and move around and use their muscles more in their daily activities.
“We found that 103-year-olds get up and down about 30 times a day, similar to doing 20 squats. They’re strengthening their core for the lower body. They’re improving their balance,” Buettner says.
The Okinawans do this without any conscious effort. However, if your job doesn’t involve physical activity, you can practice similar exercises. Take breaks often and perform simple strength exercises like squats, push-ups, or planks.
Keep your house clean
According to Buettner, in the Blue Zone of Nicoya, Costa Rica, the locals stay fit by doing household chores manually. Activities related to keeping the house clean, preparing food, and unconscious movements at the end of the day can be considered physical activity.
This type of movement, which is part of a daily routine, is called non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). It takes up more time than structured exercise routines.
Recognizing the power of NEAT can save time by combining household chores with the health benefits of exercise.
Garden
Another way to exercise is to garden. According to the archives, most Okinawans have a garden. Activities such as weeding and watering can improve mobility, strength, and endurance without putting too much stress on the body.
“Spending one or two hours a day gardening is a gentle, low-intensity physical activity that’s good for your health,” Buettner says.
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