As men age, their health declines and the risk of mortality increases. Not surprisingly, however, the level of risk is tied to marital status: married men in their 50s, 60s, and 70s have lower mortality rates than those who are unmarried (never married, divorced, or widowed).
A new study from the American College of Cardiology,1 which was published on February 23, 2023, found that married men are more likely to live a longer life.
Results. Between 65 and 85 years, married men and women had a longer TLE and ALE than unmarried men and women. For example, at 65 years, TLE for married men was 18.6 years, 2.2 years longer than unmarried men, and ALE for married men was 12.3 years, 2.4 years longer than unmarried men.
As of 2021, the average age of death in men is 73 years old, with the most common causes of death being heart disease, cancer, unintentional deaths, COVID-19 infection, and stroke.
Being Single Can Be Healthy
Research shows that people who are single, especially men, are living longer than ever before. In the past, men who were never married typically had the lowest life expectancy, but now the never married men are closing in on their currently married counterparts.
It can be said, given that being single causes depression, anxiety and a reduced will to live. According to the Health and Human Services Report, people in a relationship are much more likely to be happier and have higher immunity against mental health problems.
In one study published in 2022, hundreds of men and women were surveyed about what makes single life attractive, and they rated the top benefits as having more time for themselves, being able to focus on their goals, and not having anyone else dictate their actions.
Women whose mothers live up to the age of 90 are more likely to have increased lifespan, without suffering from any serious illnesses like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, a study has found.
Other more recent research suggests that the overall percentage could be far higher than 11%. A 2014 Pew Report estimated that by the time today's young adults reach the age of about 50, about 25% will have been single all their lives.
Women's life expectancy was 79 years in the U.S. in 2021, while men's was about 73, according to CDC data. The U.S. has a higher rate of avoidable deaths, which is measured as death before the age of 75, among men than any comparable country.
Married Men Behave Better
They take fewer risks, eat better, and maintain healthier lifestyles than their single counterparts. Harvard Health also says that married people tend to keep regular doctor appointments and follow doctor recommendations more often than singles.
Men who have marital partners also live longer than men without spouses; men who marry after age 25 get more protection than those who tie the knot at a younger age, and the longer a man stays married, the greater his survival advantage over his unmarried peers.
The researchers studied men who are older than 60 and practice polygamy from 140 countries and discovered that they lived an average of 12 percent longer than men from 49 monogamous nations, according to Fox News.
Poor looks and being short or bald were the most frequent reasons they put forward, followed by lack of confidence. Not making the effort and simply not being interested in long-term relationships were also high on the list, along with a lack of flirting skills and being too shy.
Hu found that reported happiness was higher overall among married people than unmarried people. By gender, 56.2 percent of married men said they were “very happy,” compared with only 39.4 percent of unmarried men who said so.
Why are some guys always single? According to a study, among the most frequent reasons that men indicated for being single included not being interested in a relationship, poor flirting skills, low self-confidence, poor looks, shyness, low effort, and bad experience(s) from previous relationships.
Recent Pew research indicates that over 60% of young men are currently single. Sexual intimacy is at a 30-year low across genders.
Heightened expectations.
Even though it's naturally expected of men to deal with the hardest part of meeting someone which is initiating contacts, we men are also saddled with even more difficult and anxiety-inducing expectations when it comes to dating and relationships.
As of 2022, Pew Research Center found, 30 percent of U.S. adults are neither married, living with a partner nor engaged in a committed relationship. Nearly half of all young adults are single: 34 percent of women, and a whopping 63 percent of men.
Parental longevity is one of the most important predictors of survival to age 100 for both men and women.
Will you age more like your mother or father? Surprisingly, reports show that approximately 30 percent of aging is genetic, and 70 percent is up to you – how you care for and protect your skin, your body, and the lifestyle you lead.
The study of longevity genes is a developing science. It is estimated that about 25 percent of the variation in human life span is determined by genetics, but which genes, and how they contribute to longevity, are not well understood.
"There is absolutely no set time frame that counts as 'too long' for being single," says Megan Stubbs, EdD, a sexologist and relationship expert based in Michigan. Part of the reason why is because there's no set definition as what "being single" actually looks like.
Indeed, married people are happier than unmarried people: across nearly five decades of surveys, data from the GSS shows that 36% of people who have ever been married (including divorced, separated, and widowed people) say they are “very happy” while just 11% are “not too happy,” compared to 22% and 15% for people who ...