Men are now living longer disability-free than women, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Michigan said the latest findings are significant because they go against previous trends when the fairer sex used to have a longer active life expectancy.
"Just a few decades ago, older women used to live more years than men without needing help taking care of themselves or managing basic household activities," said study author Vicki Freedman of the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. "But that does not appear to be the case anymore."
After analyzing Medicare data from 1982, 2004 and 2011, researchers found that, in a span of three decades, men's active life expectancy at age 65 increased more than four years compared to 1.4 years in women.
"Older men have been living longer and experiencing disability at later ages than they used to, while older women have experienced smaller increases in life expectancy and even smaller postponements in disability," Freedman said. "As a result, older women no longer can expect to live more active years than older men, despite their longer lives."
Freedman continued: "Men this age can now expect nearly four and a half additional active years, up from two and a half years three decades ago. Women this age can expect to live only about two and a half years free from disability, just about the same amount as in 1982."
Researchers said the findings applied to more modest levels of disability. The study revealed that the number of years expected to be lived with severe disability remained at 1.5 years for men and three years for women from 1982 to 2011.
"Women are more likely than men to develop a number of debilitating conditions including arthritis, depressive symptoms, fall-related fractures and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias that have implications for active life," Freedman said. "Enhanced attention to these and other preventable causes of limitations among older women could extend active life and help offset impending long-term care pressures related to population aging."
Researchers said the latest findings suggest that older women should start focusing on improving their quality of life.
The latest findings were published in the American Journal of Public Health.
