also plays a vital role when it comes to life expectancy. women live longer than men globally an average of four years. where the two genders live near identical lives however that difference is not so pronounced. nuns and monks live under similar conditions. here to the women outlive the men. but by an average of only two and a half years. our genes could be a factor here. women have two identical x. chromosomes men have one x. and one y. chromosome if the x. chromosome is damaged they cannot be corrected by the other as is the case in women so men are more prone to genetic defects one hypothesis is that testosterone might also play a role in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in men. nutrition also