Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee, A group of us were having a discussion about the life expectancy of men and women. We felt that if women are supposed to live longer, then they should marry someone who is younger. Do you know what the actual life expectancy age difference is for women and men? Signed, Getting Old Dear Getting Old, Life expectancy tables give average life expectancy depending on year of birth. For example, someone born today would expect to live to 79 if female, and 74 if male, an age difference of 5 years (see the Social Security Administration Actuarial Tables at www.ssa.gov). However, life expectancy increases with age, and the male/female difference decreases. For example, a 50-year-old female's life expectancy is 82 and a male's is 78, a difference of 4 years. But, someone who is 85 has a life expectancy of 91 if female and 90 if male. Remember, these are just estimates. For example, a 50-year-old female could have a life expectancy of over 100, depending on other factors that affect life expectancy such as diet, exercise, family history, and stress. The Social Security Administration website computes your life expectancy based on these other factors, see www.ssa.gov |
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| Aging, Memory, and Life Expectancy |