7 Reasons Why Women Live Longer Than Men

#1 – Unhealthy Habits Excessive smoking, alimentation rich in fats, sedentary activities and consumption of alcohol are typical to men, and partially explain their developing of serious diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, hepatic affections). On the other hand, women are more careful with their eating habits and more concerned about their health. They are not as avid consumers of any kind of drug. #2 – Genetics Women’s immune system ages more slowly; the aging process differs from various reasons. Women have more estrogen, which protects them from cardiovascular affections until menopause. Also, they are more protected from Alzheimer disease and certain types of cancer #3 – Motherhood Women who give birth after the age of 30 apparently possess longevity genes, according to researchers. They can live up to the age of 95 or more. Having babies later on probably means that the reproductive system is healthy enough, so the rest of the organism ages more beautifully. However, babies delivered after the age of 40 risk developing serious disorders, such as Down syndrome. #4 – Chromosome X Another possible explanation for women’s longevity (and for many other differences between men and women) is the fact that they have two chromosomes X, while men only have one. There are structures in our RNA (Ribonucleic acid), which practically tell genes what to do; they play a fundamental role in the immune system’s capacity of removing infections and diseases. Most of these structures are found in chromosome X. Thus, it can be said that women are programmed to be healthier and live longer than men. #5 – Testosterone When they reach the age of around 20, men have high levels of hormones such as testosterone, which can induce a dangerous behavior. Young men are careless about many aspects: they drive fast or don’t wear seatbelts, they drink a lot of alcohol, they can become aggressive etc. This kind of behavior leads to higher rates of mortality. #6 – Stress & Depression It is proven that happy people live longer. Older men, in particular, go through serious episodes of depression. Their suicide attempts are also more successful than women’s. Stress is usually omnipresent in a man’s life, since they need to provide for their family, to work more and to assume more responsibilities. As known, stress can launch diseases, such as cancer. #7 – Environmental Factors Leaving aside occupational hazards which men are exposed to, life expectancy is 70% influenced by environmental factors, namely our behavior and the atmosphere we live in. The rest is owed to genetics. Women, who usually engage in much simpler jobs, or are largely housewives in certain countries, are not exposed to as many dangers or to excessive stress.