It doesn’t seem fair that men are often considered more distinguished as they grow older while women are just ... old. But like it or not, there are some real differences in the ways men and women age.
Fertility and Hormones
As you’d probably expect, women go through more hormonal changes as they age than men do. Hormones affect every aspect of a woman’s fertility, starting in her teen years when she gets her first period.
As a woman ages, natural decreases in hormone levels bring her period to an end and usher in the common side effects of menopause including hot flashes, vaginal dryness and lower libido. Menopause typically occurs around age 50, which is the end of a woman’s fertility as she is no longer able to get pregnant or carry a child.
Men also experience changes as testosterone levels decline at a rate of about 1 percent per year, beginning around age 30. This is sometimes known as andropause.
Low testosterone levels can eventually lead to erectile dysfunction, lower libido and changes in sleep. But unlike women who will eventually cease being fertile, men continue to create sperm and are able to reproduce despite old age.
Skin
Men have the advantage when it comes to skin and aging. The male hormone testosterone makes men’s skin about 25 percent thicker than women’s skin. Men also have more moisture on their skin because they typically sweat more.
All this adds up to fewer signs of aging on men’s skin than women’s skin. Societal norms for women to look younger increase anxiety over skin changes and help fund the beauty industry as women reach for anti-aging creams and serums to slow the appearance of aging on their skin.
Hair
In general, men show earlier and more obvious signs of aging when it comes to hair loss. Genetic hair loss that runs in a family typically takes place by about age 40. Even without a hereditary factor, most men show some signs of balding by about age 50.
Women also lose some hair with age and in rare cases, women experience male-pattern baldness. But for most women, aging results in thinner or finer hair rather than substantial loss of hair.
Weight
In general, both men and women tend to gain weight as they age. In men, the hormone testosterone helps sustain muscle tissue. So around age 50 when a decrease in testosterone becomes apparent, men often start losing weight because they are losing muscle mass.
For women, the tendency to gain weight continues for another 15 or more years. Women typically don’t start losing weight due to loss of muscle mass until about age 65.
Brain Function
Men and women also have different risks of mental impairment as they age. In general, a man’s risk of cognitive impairment increases if he is overweight, has diabetes or has had a stroke. A woman’s risk decreases if she is able to live independently without having to rely on others for daily help, and if she has a strong social network.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one out of six women will develop Alzheimer’s at age 65, compared to one out of eleven men. Overall, women in their sixties are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s sometime during their remaining years as they are to get breast cancer.
Disease
None of us is safe from disease as we get older. But in general, men tend to become sick at an earlier age than women. While women are more likely to develop heart disease, men are five times more likely to experience an aortic aneurysm, which is a weak spot or bulge in wall of the major blood vessel leaving the heart. Men are also more likely to die from a heart attack at an earlier age than women.
Life Expectancy
Overall, women have a longer time to experience old age than men. That’s because women are likely to live about five years longer than men. On average, women can expect to live to about age 81.2, while men can only anticipate living to be 76.4 years old, according to the CDC.
Many factors may play into the reason women tend to live longer than men, including physical danger or hazards in the workplaces, methods of handling stress, and the fact that women are more likely than men to schedule regular health checkups.
When polled, both men and women said that women are considered to be “old” at a lower age than men. Overall, women tend to be more concerned about how their appearance will change with age. Men report concerns about losing physical strength, independence and purpose in life as they age.
If you have questions about aging or symptoms of advancing age, talk to your health care provider.
Sources:
Huffington Post. 5 Ways Men and Women Age Differently. Yangan Shah. Web. October 1, 2015.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/30/men-women-aging-differences_n_7...
Live Well. Men vs. Women as We Age. Web October 1, 2015.
https://www.unitypoint.org/livewell/article.aspx?id=959db903-a5ec-41ef-a...
Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s News 3/19/2014. Web. October 1, 2015.
http://www.alz.org/news_and_events_women_in_their_60s.asp
A Place For Mom Senior Living Blog. 8 Facts About Men and Aging. Jeff Anderson. Web. October 1, 2015.
http://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/facts-about-aging-men06-11-2013
Reviewed October 2, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith