Evolutionary Basis for the Longevity Gap

Men’s higher mortality and women’s higher chronic‑pain and autoimmune burden reflect evolved sex‑specific life‑history strategies rather than only social causes. If correct, this reframes public‑health priorities (prevention, screening, and acceptable tradeoffs) and explains persistent cross‑national patterns. — Treating sex gaps in lifespan and morbidity as partly evolved alters how policymakers allocate prevention resources, design risk communication, and weigh interventions that would reduce (or equalize) life expectancy between sexes.