The gap in life expectancy between women and men in the United States widened to 5.8 years between 2010 and 2021, the largest difference in life expectancy between men and women in decades, according to a new report.
Researchers say American women can expect to live about six years longer than men, citing disparities from COVID-19 infections and drug overdose deaths as part of the reason for the largest gap since 1996. discovered.
The study was published on Monday. JAMA Internal Medicine Journalexamined how COVID-19 and other underlying causes of death widened the gap from 2010 to 2021.
While distinct mortality rates from cardiovascular and lung cancer have long been the main explanation why women live longer than men in the United States, researchers have found that other leading causes of death are also responsible. , and that multiple factors are widening the gap.
Survival rates for lung cancer are increasing.But testing rates for the deadliest cancer are low in the U.S.
New coronavirus infection became the biggest factor in the life expectancy gap
From 2010 to 2019, increases in mortality rates from diabetes, heart disease, unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide were the main drivers of the difference in life expectancy for U.S. men. Some of that difference was minimized by similar mortality rates for men and women from cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
However, the disparity in mortality rates due to COVID-19 was the main reason why the gap between men and women widened during the pandemic that began in 2020.
