Men Are Living Almost as Long as Women

Ever since 1928, when the discovery of penicillin virtually wiped out maternal deaths due to "childbed fever," women have been living longer than men. But that is changing. As short a time ago as 2003, the life expectancy gap was five years. Yet according to a 2011 study from the University of Wisconsin's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, that figure has shrunk to just over two years. A man who is 65 today may well live to the impressive age of 82.3. For a woman of the same age, that number squeaks up to 84.9.

So the guys are catching up to us. This trend is partly due to the advent of Lipitor, bypass surgery, and other medical advances that are helping to keep men from dying early of heart attacks. Yet even as their lifespans are getting longer, ours are not keeping up at our historic pace. Researchers say this is because women are so stressed out these days that they're resorting to unhealthy habits such as skimping on sleep, grabbing fast food, and relying on meds, alcohol, and cigarettes to cope. Ouch! Here's hoping we can learn to mend our ways and stop literally killing ourselves slowly.

See Also: Caring for Husband May Cut Longevity

Yet even if we do, the fact will remain that the boys are living longer than they once did. Economists, relationship gurus, and other experts are busy batting around theories about what this might mean for our collective future. Still, Susan Jacoby, author of "Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of Old Age," sounded a realistic note among the clamor when she pointed out in a recent "New York Times" article that "The skies will not be 'raining men' in old age, particularly among the 'old old' over 85."

True, but there will indeed be more older men than ever before. Will the uptick mean fewer widows along with a bigger playing field of potential matches for women who do become suddenly single? Will the possible increase in the numbers of anniversaries married couples celebrate be a boon or a bane? On the one hand, people may get to grow old together and discover that, in the poet Browning's words, "the best is yet to be." On the other hand, one spouse or the other could end up as a caregiver when he or she is barely able to manage the responsibility. And how about spouses trapped in bad marriages? Studies show that marital strife is detrimental to physical and mental health even in the short run, let alone for an extended sentence. As for the economy, will the relative boom in senior men be a drain on Social Security or will the aging males remain robust enough to keep earning and contributing?

See Also: Lifestyle Changes Key to Longevity

We'd love to have you share how you feel about the reasons the lifespan for women is no longer increasing and also tell us what you think having more men around longer will mean. Will it be good, bad, or doesn't it really matter?