Do you want to extend your longevity? Statistics say women live longer than men. Here are 5 steps for men to break this trend immediately.
Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?
Several statistical data have shown women outlive men across the world, even in the animal kingdom. This was not always the case. The life expectancy for men was higher than women until the 19th Century. While a few statisticians argue that unhealthy sanitary conditions and maternal mortality rates were primary causes of death before the 19th Century. The reduced infant mortality rate in boys has become a cause of concern in many developed countries presently.
Here are a few biological factors contributing to this difference:
- Fat Deposit: Men have more visceral fat, meaning fat usually deposits around organs. Women have subcutaneous fat, meaning fat deposits under the skin. Thus, men are at a higher risk of being affected by cardiovascular diseases.
- X Chromosome: The presence of the second X chromosome gas health impacts. The second X chromosome and estrogen content in women give them a niche for conditions.
- Stability: A study conducted by The Institute of Aging Research, Albert Einstein College, found that men went through 600 changes in their protein levels after they reached 65 years. While women only underwent 277 changes. Thus, women have a stable internal system.
- Gender-Related Advantage: Women above the age of 65 had better memory power as per the memory test conducted by Georgetown University. The recent pandemic has also shed light on this difference. Men above the age of 65 years who contracted COVID-19 lost most of their B-cells. These B-cells are responsible for producing antibodies.
Extend Your Longevity
Since women have the upper hand in longevity due to genetics and behavioral reasons. Here are 5 steps men can take to extend their longevity. More than extending your longevity, staying healthy without depending on others during your old age is highly beneficial.
#Step 1-Beware of Your Waistline
Not only for beauty reasons. Men having a waistline of more than 94cm ‘can’ acquire hypertension, type-2 diabetes, heart attacks, and cancer within a few years. While men with a waist of more than 102cm are at the risk of ‘definitely’ acquiring the above conditions. Begin with healthy eating and exercising to eliminate this risk.
#Step 2- Heart Health
Both men and women are at higher risk of facing a heart-related disease in their lifetime, given the latest lifestyle. But, men are often hospitalized at a young age for heart diseases in comparison to women. Given the advancements in science, two out of three heart attack deaths can be prevented. Therefore, avoid smoking, drinking, consuming fast food, and indulging in anything that may affect your heart health. Being mindful about your cholesterol and pressure levels is an added advantage.
#Step 3- Mental Health
Women complain a lot, talk about their emotions, express grief and pain more than men do. As much as annoying it may be for the opposite sex. This is seen as a healthy way to deal with problems and for extending your longevity. Men always keep to themselves, drink a couple of beers, go back into their man caves, and often fail to discuss issues with family and peers. Therefore they are at a higher risk of being affected by depression, stress, trauma, and more.
It is necessary to understand the difference between illness and weakness. It is essential to seek help if you feel angry, frustrated, anxious, depressed, or even numb for more than 2 weeks at a stretch.
#Step 4-Precaution
Prevention is always better than cure. Men are more vulnerable to lung, prostate, testicular, bowel, and skin cancers. Their line of work and lack of effort to get checked out at moderate intervals only worsens the case. Getting an overall health checkup once a year will really benefit you in the long run. Since men lose the ability to recall faster than women during old age. They often misplace or totally forget about consuming their medicines, adding to their deteriorating health.
#Step 5- Pay Attention
The human body is similar to a machine. You can always find what is wrong by just looking and feeling for things that are off. Memorize your body as you age, find changes, look for sudden or gradual differences from your twenties. Express your concerns to a healthcare professional to extend your longevity.
Now that you know how to extend your longevity, here are some tasty menus and healthy diets you can undertake.
