The gap between men and women living to very old age is closing. Why are fewer women living longer?

A new report on the number of centenarians in England and Wales reveals men are rapidly narrowing the gap with women when it comes to living to a very old age. A leading expert says that women’s changing roles could be starting to impact their lifespan.

Since the UK’s modern records began, many more women than men have lived to a significantly old age. That is partly due to the staggering amount of male fatalities during World War I but that doesn’t fully explain why, when compared to men, there has been a disproportionately large number of women who live to a very old age.

However, that traditional gap is now closing rapidly. The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) report on the very old, including centenarians, reveals the number of women living to be over the age of 90 fell last year, as did the number of women living to be 100. What’s more significant still is the fact that the ratio of very old men to women has narrowed significantly in recent years.

A leading expert says women in their younger and middle years can lay the groundwork now to ensure good health in old age. They can also seek to limit the physical impact of their rapidly changing role in society.

Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan (MBChB), Clinical Lead at London Medical Laboratory, says: ‘The latest ONS report into the very old reveals that, as recently as 2002, there was more than three times the number of women aged over 90 compared to men. Last year, this fell to just twice as many. Statistically that’s a huge decline.

‘Many more women than men have traditionally lived to a significantly old age but that gap is closing rapidly. Post-World War I, women’s lives began to change compared to those of previous generations and that could be having an impact on longevity.

‘It does look as if the decline in the number of women living to be very old is accelerating, particularly in relation to men’s lifespan. The sex ratio at the oldest ages continued to narrow in 2023, with 4.5 women to every man aged 100 years and over in England and Wales, compared with 4.6 in 2022.

‘The number of women aged 90 and over fell from 369,920 in 2022 to 368,250 in 2023. There was also a 1.14% decrease in the number of women living to be over 100, down from 12,270 in 2022 to 12,130 in 2023.

‘Why has the ratio of very old men to women narrowed significantly in recent years? Many women now reaching their centenary may well have led more challenging lives than previous generations. They are likely to have faced the difficulties of World War II and many will have spent decades juggling domestic and professional duties.

‘The combined factors may well have placed greater demands on their bodies. That’s why regular testing is recommended to ensure women maintain good health into their old age.

‘For women concerned about their health today and tomorrow, a general health test will provide reassurance that they are in good overall health. This can help fight viruses and boost overall fitness levels. There are also many tests available today developed specifically for women.

‘For example, a female hormone or fertility test is specifically tailored to analyse hormones related to fertility, menopause and period problems. It can be used to diagnose problems or to monitor hormone replacement medications such as HRT.

‘Also now available are menopause health checks. These can help confirm if a woman is in menopause with targeted testing of oestradiol, luteinising hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. Included in London Medical Laboratory’s own test is a check for thyroid stimulating hormone in case it is thyroid problems mimicking menopause symptoms.

‘London Medical Laboratory also offers a comprehensive wellness profile for women including a full blood count and analysis of kidney and liver function, bone and muscle health, a full cholesterol profile and iron studies. Additionally, a diabetes check, thyroid function tests, hsCRP, a vitamin profile and a female hormones profile are all included. 

‘Many of these dedicated tests for women can be taken at home through the post, or at one of the many drop-in clinics that offer these tests across London and nationwide in over 120 selected pharmacies and health stores. For full details, see: https://www.londonmedicallaboratory.com/product-category/womens-health