Sex and gender differences in health and disease. Part I. Evolutionary

Abstract

Sex affects many aspects of a person's existence, including health. Life expectancy is one of the most telling examples of differences between the sexes. Almost all over the world, women have been found to live longer than men, but the gap in life expectancy varies considerably from country to country. The review discusses the evolutionary mechanisms behind this difference and potential strategies for increasing male life expectancy. Likely processes leading to sex-specific morbidity are also considered.