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LATEST RESEARCH FROM the UK suggests that men are closing the gap on women in terms of average life expectancy.
Analysis of 2012 figures, published in The Lancet journal, show the average life expectancy for women in England and Wales is 83.3 years with the corresponding age for men at 79.5 years.
Both these ages have sharply increased over the course of the last 30 years but the figure for men has increased more rapidly.
Life expectancy for men has increased by 8.2 years since 1981 with women living an average of six years longer.
The researchers have calculated that by 2030 the difference in life expectancy between men and women will be down to less than two years.
In fact, in some parts of the UK the researchers predict that men and women will have the same life expectancy in 15 years time. This is primarily because death rates among middle-aged men are expected to fall more quickly than death rates among middle-aged women.
At the moment women outlive men in every district in the UK.
The figures also pointed to a massive difference in life expectancy between the most and least affluent parts of the UK.
The largest difference in life expectancy between English and Welsh local authority districts in 2012 (8 years for men and 7 years for women) was equivalent to the gap between the average life expectancy in the UK and countries like Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Nicaragua.
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Jeeze change the pic to something a little more pleasant like an oap couple holding hands in a park will ya?
I wonder if it’s a photo of a skeleton of an old woman perceived to be a revenant, usually a witch or vampire, hence the extended jaw and the big rock protruding from it. They found a couple of those in Sligo about 5 years ago. Clearly the message is that people may be appearing to live longer because they’re the undead?
A picture of an elderly couple would be apposite as men living (nearly) as long as women means more couples who can support each other, and therefore a less rapid increase in demand for long-term care
Also cause women these days probably in general drink a lot more than their grandmother’s, heard that could be a factor in narrowing the gap?
Surely it’s down to men moisturising and waxing these days?
Smoking is probably even more relevant. In our grandparents’ era, almost all men smoked, at least when they were younger, while it was not so common among women, especially outside urban areas. Among our parents, there is probably little difference. If anything, I have the impression that in the last 20 years, smoking has been more common with women.
It’s down to many reasons…
Men are physically bigger, need to eat more calories, more stress on their hearts etc. Testosterone is also immunosuppressant.
They also engaged more in at risk professions most the world soldiers and armed forces are still men.
Lastly they are more reluctant and wait longer before seeing Dr to address symptoms and identify diseases like cancer where early diagnosis is key.
Forget about the wage gap, what about the life expectancy gap
http://www.charismanews.com/world/49286-report-the-first-person-to-live-to-1-000-may-be-alive-today
Well this is an interesting read but can we see our own HSE coming up with the goods? Huge leaps and bounds coming. The main killer is heart disease and they have found a way to brake down the plaque surrounding the arteries. Humans are living longer. and that can be good in some ways. But yet may cause over populationg. Sorry going off topic…. Well put together @ronanduffy_
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