The relationship between gender and the death rate is growing more significant as years continue to move forward. The average woman has a five year advantage over men. Men are stereotypically seen as the breadwinners of the family. They are seen to make all the money and being the power of a household since the beginning of time. This causes a lot of stress on a person.The real reason men die quicker is still unclear, but there are a plethora of hypotheses on the subject. A main reason for this phenomenon is men conduct more stress than women. Stress causes heart disease, taking risks, and causes men to smoke cigarettes. The number one leading causes of death among men in the United States is heart disease. Heart disease can be genetic but also can be caused from stress. Stress related heart disease is called environmental and occupational heart disease. Women are more likely not to have an occupation compared to men, because of this most of the studies conducted do not have women in the equation. In these studies “the authors conclude that there is strong evidence from this study of an increased risk of heart disease for those with high strain jobs” (Steenland). This just goes to prove that stress can actually kill you. As a result of stress, men become more likely to live a risky lifestyle. Studies show, “women take much better care of their own health and men are much more likely to die from violence, and accidents, and from neglecting their medical care” (Barber). The “testosterone storm” continues to elevate the death rate of males. The hormone levels in men increase under stress, which causes lots of testosterone to build up in their bodies. This explains why men are more likely to not wear their seatbelt; they drink too much alcohol; they can be very aggressive. When your life is stressful and you feel like you can’t control anything, sometimes the only thing you can control is your reckless decisions.
