Women really do live longer — here’s why

Mohana Ravindranath | New York Times | March 13, 2025

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Women outlive men, by something of a long shot: In the United States, women have a life expectancy of about 80, compared to around 75 for men.

A growing body of research suggests that the XX set of female sex chromosomes (which, along with other chromosomes, carry our DNA) may impact longevity…

Epigenetic factors — environmental or lifestyle elements like climate or chronic stress that impact which genes are expressed, and how — may also play a role in life span

Researchers are also investigating the role of sex hormones like estrogen in longevity, and are especially interested in the effect they have on the immune system.

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Behavioral patterns play a key role in the disparity. Women are generally less likely than men to smoke or drink heavily — behaviors that contribute significantly to mortality…

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Women also tend to practice more “health-promoting behavior,” like wearing a seatbelt or going to the doctor for annual checkups…

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Ultimately, it’s a combination of all these factors that determines the life span gap, said Alan Cohen, an associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. “There’s probably a thousand ways that that’s happening.”

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here