Lessons from women on longevity

It’s a fact that women live longer than men. However, that longevity gap in the United States has become wider, according to a study published in the January 2024 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

The difference in life expectancy between men and women increased to 5.8 years in 2021 (the latest year for which data is available), the largest gap since 1996. Today, the average woman lives to approximately age 81, and the average man to approximately age 76, according to recent figures from the CDC. Why the gap?

“In many cases, women are better than men at addressing certain health needs that contribute to longer lives,” says Alan Geller, a senior lecturer on social and behavioral sciences at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health who was part of the 2024 study’s research team. “However, there is no reason why men shouldn’t live as long as women.”

Men can learn some valuable lessons from women about longevity. Here are some areas that the study found have the greatest impact on men’s lives, and how women handle them differently.

Weight gain

The JAMA Internal Medicine study found that heart disease and diabetes were two leading contributors to men’s shorter lives. While there are many risk factors linked to heart disease and diabetes, weight gain can have the most wide-ranging effects, as it can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance.

Compared with women, men generally have a higher risk for and prevalence of heart disease until after age 75, according to the CDC. Obesity rates for adults ages 60 and older are similar between men and women. However, there’s evidence that women tend to be more concerned than men about excess weight. “They’re more likely than men to join weight-loss programs, take prescription weight-loss drugs, and stick with a plant-based diet,” says Geller.

Lung cancer

The study found that lung cancer deaths were higher among men. Smoking continues to be the leading cause of lung cancer, and while fewer people smoke nowadays, men still are more likely than women to light up. In 2021, 13.1% of men reported smoking a cigarette either every day or some days compared with 10.1% of women. Research has found that women have a harder time quitting than men do, but they are more motivated to make several attempts at quitting. Men are also more likely to have smoked longer before quitting.

Melanoma

The study found that men are almost twice as likely as women to die from melanoma, a statistic that is also supported by the American Cancer Society. Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, but when it’s caught early, it rarely kills.

Geller points out that women are more likely than men to wear sunscreen daily and are more proactive about getting regular dermatology check-ups. They also are more diligent about regular skin self-checks and having any suspicious spots looked at. Melanoma is usually visible as a single dark skin spot. It may appear anywhere on the body, but it most commonly develops on the back, chest, or leg.

Mental health

Suicide rates among adults ages 55 to 64 are almost eight times higher for men than women. Even though older women experience higher rates of depression than older men, they are more likely to seek treatment like therapy and medication. “Many men feel an external pressure to appear strong, which makes them reluctant to talk about their mental health struggles or to seek help,” says Geller.

Another problem is that depression can look different in men than in women, which is why it can often go undetected. Women usually have symptoms like sadness, feelings of worthlessness, and anxiety.

Men, on the other hand, may express depression through anger, irritability, substance abuse, and risky behaviors. Other signs of depression that men should be mindful about include the following:

Love and longevity

Multiple studies have shown that married men tend to live longer than single men. “Married men and those in committed relationships are more likely to benefit from the ‘protective effect’ of being a couple,” says Alan Geller of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “A partner can encourage them to follow a healthier lifestyle, pursue other preventive health measures, and seek timely medical evaluation for new symptoms. In addition, their commitment to the responsibilities of marriage or a relationship usually makes men less likely to take physical risks or abuse drugs and alcohol.”

(Matthew Solan is executive editor of Harvard Men's Health Watch.)