Gender Life Expectancy Gap Widens in the US Amid COVID Pandemic

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals that the gender-death gap in the US is widening, with men dying nearly six years earlier than women on average. The gap has increased from 4.8 years in 2010 to 5.8 years in 2021, the largest rift since 1996. The study attributes the widening gap to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, unintentional injuries, drug overdoses, suicide, and heart disease. The researchers emphasize the need for public health interventions to reverse this decline in life expectancy and prevent the disparity from becoming entrenched.