Men in the U.S. are dying nearly six years before women, according to a new study

The life expectancy gap between men and women in the United States has once again widened, with new data showing that men currently die nearly six years earlier than women.

According to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, this trend has been steadily growing for over a decade, with women consistently outliving men for more than a century.

The recent drop in overall life expectancy in the United States, which has fallen for two consecutive years, has also contributed to this disparity. This year, the average American is expected to live 76.1 years, a decrease from 77 years in 2020.

But what's causing this widening gap?

Experts point to social factors and health behaviors, as men are less likely to seek medical attention and are more likely to engage in risky behaviors.

Another major contributor has been the rise in unintentional injuries, such as vehicle accidents and drug overdoses, which claimed the lives of over 106,000 people in 2021. Heart disease, homicide, and suicides also played a role in the declining life expectancy for men.

Scientists have suggested that biological differences could be a factor, but environmental and societal factors also play a significant role in men's overall health and well-being. Men are more likely to be homeless, incarcerated, and victims of fatal violence and suicide.

Brandon Yan, a co-author of the research and a resident physician at UC San Francisco, stated that the focus should now be on public health interventions to help reverse this troubling trend.

While women tend to outlive men globally, the gap is more significant in wealthier countries, such as the United States. In low-income countries, both men and women often lack access to healthcare, which can level out the life expectancy gap.

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The U.S. Census Bureau also recently projected that women will continue to outlive men over the next century. This further underscores the importance of addressing the factors that contribute to this gap and ensuring that men have access to quality healthcare and resources to lead a healthy lifestyle.