A recent analysis by The Lancet Public Health reveals that globally, men have a greater disease burden and shorter lifespans compared to women. Despite women living longer, they also endure many years of poor health.
Key takeaways
In 2021, a recent analysis indicates that men bore a higher burden than women in 13 out of the top 20 causes of disease, including Covid-19, road injuries, and various cardiovascular, respiratory, and liver diseases. These conditions disproportionately led to premature mortality among men. Conversely, women globally faced a greater prevalence of non-life-threatening conditions such as musculoskeletal issues, mental health disorders, and headache disorders.
Utilising data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, the modelling research compared the total disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost to illness and premature death for the 20 primary causes of disease from 1990 to 2021. Dr Luisa Sorio Flor, senior author at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, USA, noted that women tend to experience higher levels of illness and disability due to their longer lifespans compared to men. In 2021, Covid-19 emerged as the foremost cause of health loss globally, with males encountering 45% more health loss from the virus than females. Ischemic heart disease followed closely as the second leading cause of health loss, with males experiencing a 45% greater health loss from this condition compared to females.
