Why do women live longer than men?

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In most American families, grandma outlives grandpa by several years. Although the gap between mortality rates for men and women is narrowing in the 1980s (primarily because of a reduction in cigarette smoking), it still has not disappeared. Dr Hazzard's hypothesis is that differences in hormone status over the life span result in differences in lipoprotein metabolism that determine the risk of atherosclerotic disease and thus longevity. Although some theories and apparent relationships are intriguing, Dr Hazzard emphasizes that additional controlled studies are necessary, and he summarizes the paradoxes and inconsistencies that remain to be resolved.