5 Reasons Why Women Live Longer Than Men

Life expectancy in Nigeria has dropped drastically but the risk has never been this high for men. According to statistics, men are biologically and sociologically at a disadvantage from the time they’re conceived to the time they die.

But why do women live longer than men? Here are some reasons researchers give that put men at disadvantage.

1) Women Are Less Likely To Develop Heart Disease

According to news.health.com, heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women, but men are more likely to develop it—and die from it—as early as their 30s and 40s. Women, on the other hand, typically develop heart disease 10 years later than men. They’re protected from it until menopause, since their bodies churn out estrogen, which helps keep arteries strong and flexible.

2) Women Share Worries

Unlike men who bottle up their emotions, women tend to reach out and talk to others. Because of the strong social connections women have they experience a 50% lower chance of dying than men who keep few social ties.

3) Women Are Biologically Tougher

According to Punch, women are biologically and sociologically at an advantage when compared to men who are weaker. Researchers also point to the fact that most female children tend to have stronger immune system than their male counterparts and are less likely to die as infants compared to male children.

4) Women Are Health Conscious

Men according to news.health.com, are 24% less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past year and are 22% more likely to skip out on checkups. Men are known to deny illness and minimize symptoms because they don’t want to go to a doctor and find out something is wrong.

5) Women Are less likely Engage in Daredevil Activities

Unintentional injuries are the third leading cause of death in men, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Again, you can blame it on biology: the frontal lobes of the brain—which deal with responsibility and risk calculation—develop much more slowly in males than females, experts say.