On average, women in the United States live longer than men. Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Penn professor of biology, looks at national data that indicates health trends by gender and age in the United States, and tries to find reasons for those trends. She has recently written chapters on the subject for two books that update research linking behavior with health. More men drink heavily and, as a result, develop liver diseases.
More men engage in higher risk behaviors such as drunk-driving and holding dangerous jobs.
Even in childhood, boys' play is riskier than girls' play. Women's biochemistry tends to reduce their risk of heart disease. The female hormone estrogen lowers the type of cholesterol in the blood that increases risk of heart disease. But the male hormone testosterone reduces the type of cholesterol that safeguards against heart disease. Fatty deposits associated with the apple shape appear to increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.