Women's Longer Lifespans Explained: Men Are 'Genetically Disposable,' Institute for Aging Research Study
(PhysOrg.com) -- On average, women live five or six years longer than men. There are six 85-year-old women to four men of the same age, and by the age of 100 the ratio is greater than two to one. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the greater longevity, but there is growing evidence for the disposable soma theory, which says males are genetically more disposable than females.