Why is male life expectancy lower

In some species, males allocate more resources to sexual competition and reproduction, which, scientists say, could lead to bigger sex differences in lifespans. In order to measure the extent to which biological differences between the sexes affect life expectancy, scientists plan to compare the data on wild mammals with the data on mammals kept in the zoo, where they do not have to fight with predators or compete for food and mates.

Scientists hope the findings will contribute to better understanding of what affects human longevity. In the past years, the average life expectancy of humans has more than doubled due to improved living conditions and advances in medicine. Yet women continue to live longer than men, suggesting the biological differences also have a role.

According to the U. Centers for Disease Control, the average American man will live to age 76, while the average woman in America will live to age Women can also expect to be healthier than men in their senior years. Experts shave said the gap is due to a combination of biological and social differences. It is also linked to risky behavior: smoking, drinking and unhealthy eating habits. Statistics show that men are more likely to take life-threatening risks and to die in car accidents, or gun fights.

Men tend to. The uneven playing field for boys starts early. The Y chromosome tends to develop mutations more often than X chromosomes and the lack of a second X chromosome in men means that X-linked abnormalities among boys are not "masked" by a second, normal version. Survival in the womb is also less reliable for male fetuses for uncertain, and probably multiple, reasons. Developmental disorders are also more common among boys; some of these could shorten life expectancy.

For example, since men tend to avoid medical care far more often than women, getting men to report symptoms including depression and go for regular follow-up for chronic medical problems such as high blood pressure could counter some of the tendency for them to die younger. Men are also two to four times more likely than women to pass away prematurely from unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide. These are unfortunate statistics and are based on several complex reasons—both social and biological.

The good news—many of these negatively contributing factors may be reduced, especially with routine preventive medical visits. Men tend to walk a finer line between safety and danger than women do. Men tend to drive more recklessly and are involved in more auto accidents than females.

Want that motorcycle or fast car? Focus on defensive driving techniques and eliminate distractions, including the use of cell phones.

Men are more likely to drink alcohol in excess, smoke more, and eat more indulgently than women. These habits may lead to diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and other contributors to shortening a lifespan.