Men around the world lose more healthy years to illness and early death than women, and few governments have a plan to change that, according to a new three-paper series on men’s health published in The Lancet this week. Using Global Burden of Disease data, the authors found that in 2023, disability-adjusted life years, a measure of healthy years lost, were 16% higher among males than females, the University of Glasgow said on Oct.
29.In the United States, the gap is easy to see. A baby boy born in 2024 could expect to live 76.5 years, compared with 81.4 years for a baby girl, a difference of 4.9 years, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.The series does not present new clinical trial results. The papers are reviews and policy frameworks that pull together existing data and argue for a new approach.
For families, the message is practical: many of the forces shortening men’s lives are tied to work, money, social expectations, and access to care, not biology alone.A Three-Paper Review of Men’s Health GapsThe Lancet series has three parts, STAT reported. The first proposes a framework for studying men’s health through an intersectional lens, meaning it looks at how gender combines with income, race, education, and other conditions.
The second reviews data on men’s life expectancy
The second reviews data on men’s life expectancy and disability. The third lays out a political strategy for putting men’s health on policy agendas.The authors treat men’s health as a gender issue, not only a sex issue. They write that men’s health is shaped by “culturally defined roles, responsibilities, attributes, and entitlements,” STAT reported. They ask why men tend to have worse health outcomes even though, as a group, they hold more social and economic power.Biology plays a role, the authors acknowledge.
But they argue several drivers are preventable, including rigid expectations about masculinity, male-dominated power structures, and commercial influences on men’s behavior.The epidemiology paper also notes a limitation in the evidence itself. Many existing studies do not break down results by income, race, disability, or other social factors, which makes it harder to see which men face the highest risk.The U.S.
Picture Behind the Global NumbersThe American gap has narrowed slightly. Men’s life expectancy rose 0.7 year from 2023 to 2024, faster than women’s, shrinking the difference from 5.3 years to 4.9 years, the NCHS report shows. Heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries remained the top three causes of death for all Americans, and suicide replaced COVID-19 as the 10th leading cause.Men are more likely than women to die from cancer, and from heart, lung, kidney, and liver disease, then-FDA Commissioner Dr.
Robert Califf wrote in an earlier FDA commentary
Robert Califf wrote in an earlier FDA commentary. They are also more likely to die from opioid overdoses, alcohol use, suicide, accidents, firearms, and assault. Globally, he noted, Global Burden of Disease estimates put men’s life expectancy about 6.5 years below women’s.Many conditions are easier to treat when caught early. High blood pressure, diabetes, and early colorectal cancer often cause no symptoms, which makes routine checkups especially important for men who rarely see a doctor.Ireland adopted the first national men’s health policy in 2008, and only a handful of countries have followed, according to the series authors.
They warn that the lack of such policies leaves room for companies and online “manosphere” influencers to shape how men think about their health.Men Facing Poverty, Prison, and HomelessnessThe series argues that men do not share the same risk. Social and structural factors such as employment and education strongly shape men’s life expectancy and disability in most countries, and marginalization, including incarceration and homelessness, makes the gaps worse.Poor outcomes occur most often among “men experiencing poverty, discrimination or other forms of social disadvantage,” said Professor Vittal Katikireddi, professor of public health and health inequalities at the University of Glasgow and an author of the series.
He said the research “demonstrates the need for men’s health to be addressed within health policy.”U.S. data point the same way. Black men, Indigenous men, and men in rural communities have the lowest life expectancy in the country, Califf wrote.The authors also address a common concern. They argue that attention to men’s health should not compete with efforts on women’s health.
A gendered approach to health is not
“A gendered approach to health is not a zero-sum game; it can serve to enhance wellbeing for all,” they write, according to STAT.Checkups, Screening, and Support Men Can Use NowThe series calls for policy changes, not individual fixes, but there are reasonable steps men and their families can take today. Men who have not seen a primary care clinician in more than a year can schedule a checkup and ask about blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes screening.Colorectal cancer screening is recommended starting at age 45 for people at average risk.
Men ages 55 to 69 can talk with a clinician about whether prostate cancer screening makes sense for them, since the decision depends on personal risk and preferences.Most private insurance plans and Medicare cover many preventive screenings without a copay, generally when patients use in-network providers. Men without insurance can look for community health centers, which adjust fees based on income and family size.Mental health matters, too.
Men who are struggling, or family members worried about someone, can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, at any time. Anyone with chest pain, stroke symptoms, or thoughts of harming themselves should seek emergency help right away.The series is a call to action, not a new rule, and it does not change current U.S. screening guidelines. Its authors want governments to build men’s health into universal health coverage and collect better data on marginalized men.MedicalDaily will report on any federal or state moves toward a men’s health strategy.
For now, the life expectancy gap is real;
For now, the life expectancy gap is real; it is partly preventable, and regular checkups remain one of the most useful steps men can take.Key Questions AnsweredWhat is the new Lancet series about? It is a three-paper series on men’s health that reviews global data and proposes frameworks and policy strategies to close health gaps.How much shorter are men’s lives in the U.S.? Boys born in 2024 could expect to live 76.5 years, compared with 81.4 years for girls, a 4.9-year gap, according to the CDC.Does the series include new clinical research?
No. The papers are reviews and frameworks built on existing data, including the Global Burden of Disease study.Which men face the greatest risk? Men facing poverty, discrimination, incarceration, or homelessness, along with Black, Indigenous, and rural men in the U.S.Does focusing on men’s health take away from women’s health? The authors argue it does not, calling a gendered approach to health “not a zero-sum game.”What can men do now?
Schedule a checkup, ask about recommended screenings, and call or text 988 for mental health support.
