Emerging research suggests the group has a far greater chance of living to 100 and even becoming ‘supercentenarians’ – but what’s the reason behind this?
If you’re fortunate enough to reach the grand age of 110, you’ll likely find yourself in the company of mostly women. Emerging research suggests women have a far greater chance of living to 100 and even becoming ‘supercentenarians’.
In 2023, Boston University Medical Campus reported that while men make up 15% of centenarians, an impressive 85% are women. Among supercentenarians, those aged 110 or older, the number of women could surge to around 90%.
But what’s the reason behind this? While it’s not entirely clear, there are countless theories. The US-based scientists believe one major factor could be something known as ‘antagonistic pleiotropy’.
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Put simply, this refers to the point at which biological processes that once gave an evolutionary advantage slowly become a disadvantage with age. For men, this particularly relates to the role of the primary hormone, testosterone.
While testosterone has many positive effects, such as promoting muscle and bone strength and helping distribute body fat, it could potentially increase the risk of various health problems over time.
The Boston team previously explained: “In men, for example, testosterone promotes muscle strength, red blood cell production and strong bones. However, at older age, testosterone increases risk for blood clot formation and therefore atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke and pulmonary embolism.
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“Testosterone production is an example of what are likely numerous instances of antagonistic pleiotropy in men.” Besides this, further research hypothesises that women may potentially cope better with several illnesses and age-related conditions.
The biological playing field is fundamentally uneven for men and women right from the start. Men possess one X and one Y chromosome, whereas women have two X chromosomes. Harvard University suggests that the Y chromosome is more susceptible to mutations than the X chromosome, potentially resulting in reduced genetic defence against specific diseases.
Meanwhile, a significant study last year suggested that although women typically outlive men, they also endure more years in ‘poor health’. Researchers discovered that non-fatal conditions like musculoskeletal issues, headache disorders and mental health problems, especially impact women.
Dr Luisa Sorio Flor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, said at the time: “This report clearly shows that over the past 30 years global progress on health has been uneven.
“Females have longer lives but live more years in poor health, with limited progress made in reducing the burden of conditions leading to illness and disability, underscoring the urgent need for greater attention to non-fatal consequences that limit women’s physical and mental function, especially at older ages. Similarly, males are experiencing a much higher and growing burden of disease with fatal consequences.
“This kind of critical, comparable, and comprehensive research is important, both to understand the magnitude and distribution of the diverse and evolving health needs of females and males around the world and to identify key opportunities for health gain at all stages of life.”
However, it’s important to remember that individual dietary, exercise and lifestyle habits all contribute to life expectancy, regardless of gender. For instance, aother recent study from Griffith University saw that ordinary Americans over 40 could ‘add five years to their life’, if they were just as active as the top 25%.
“If there’s something you could do to more than halve your risk of death, physical activity is enormously powerful,” Lead researcher Professor Lennert Veerman said last year.
“If we could increase investment in promoting physical activity and creating living environments that promote it such as walkable or cyclable neighbourhoods and convenient, affordable public transport systems, we could not only increase longevity but also reduce pressure on our health systems and the environment.”
