Women, on average, live longer than men. This trend can be seen as far as the files extend, and is true for all the countries of the world today. Many explanations have been put forward: men take more risks or smoke more, estrogens are protective against health problems, two X chromosomes are better than … the continuous list. Some of them can explain the small fractions of the difference; Many have been demystified. None are fully satisfactory.
Now, the researchers have found an intriguing alternative explanation for a large part of this difference in lifespan – that everything comes down to chromosome Y. More specifically, the idea is that men age, they lose this chromosome of many of their cells, which leads to age -related disease.
Losing your chromosome in this way is not something you would notice. “As far as I know, there is no data to suggest that men with a loss of it feel it,” said Lars Forsberg at Uppsala University in Sweden. However, it turns out that a significant fraction of older men is affected, and researchers are now discovering long -term consequences for the immune system and the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s disease.
“If you are a man, you don’t want to lose your chromosome y, it will certainly shorten your life,” said Kenneth Walsh at the University of Virginia. The growing recognition of the importance of Y chromosome for general health opens the door to new potential ways to keep men healthy as they age.
Most people …