Study: Men in the U.S. are dying nearly six years before women
Jacob Knutson
The life expectancy gap between women and men in the U.S. widened again in 2021, meaning men currently die nearly six years before women, according to research published in JAMA on Monday.
Why it matters: Women have outlived men for more than a century, but since hitting a low in 2010, the gap has steadily broadened over the past decade.
The trend is occurring alongside a decrease in overall life expectancy in the U.S. It has fallen for two consecutive years, most recently dropping from 77 years in 2020 to 76.1 years in 2021.
Of note: The life expectancy disparity between men and women hasn't been this wide since 1996 and is roughly a year above the low of 4.8 years that was recorded in 2010.
Driving the news: Researchers said the COVID-19 pandemic was the greatest contributor to the gap's growth, as men died from the virus died more often than women, potentially owing to social factors and health behaviors.
The second greatest cause was a rise in unintentional injuries, like vehicle accidents and drug overdoses, which killed a record 106,000 people in the U.S. in 2021.
Homicides, heart disease and suicides also contributed to the worsening life expectancy for men.
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https://www.axios.com/2023/11/13/men-women-life-expectancy-gap-us-study
