Why men die younger than women and the tough guy paradox that drives doctors nuts

Could being a tough guy become a deadly mistake?Women live longer than men, all over the world.In the US, men live around 76 years, while women live til 81.Experts have been watching this trend for decades.

Even as infectious disease has plummeted, other lethal health conditions like heart disease have affected men more than women.So what’s going on?There used to be a belief that men died more often than women, but were generally healthier before their death.Women disproportionately have more non-lethal, chronic conditions like arthritis and depression.But researchers found this isn’t the case.

It has more to do with pervasive, lifelong social and behavioral differences between the genders.“It is both biology and behavior.Men have biological vulnerabilities,” Dr.

David Shusterman, board-certified urologist and founder of UroLongevity and Modern Urologist, told The Post.“But the bigger problem is that men tend to practice reactive medicine.

They wait until something is obviously wrong.”An online survey from the Cleveland clinic showed 72% of men would rather do chores like cleaning the bathroom than go to the doctor.But why the reluctance?Research shows men are anxious about both the visit itself and about a potential diagnosis, and they’d rather try home remedies or fix it themselves first.

But perhaps most striking: They see health help as wimpy.“As a man, I sometimes feel that seeking healthcare is seen as a sign of weakness, which makes me more skeptical and hesitant to go,” a 49-year-old participant said.Forty-one percent of men were told as children that men don’t complain about health issues, The Cleveland Clinic survey showed.This silly belief is so engrained that it has real consequences — including that men are more than 30% less likely to get preventative care compared to women.Men experience earlier cardiovascular risk, more visceral abdominal fat, metabolic decline, and hormonal changes that can affect muscle, energy, sexual ...