Why women may age slower than men: Estrogen protects cells from wear-and-tear, study finds

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Estrogen may promote the health of telomeres, the protective end caps of chromosomes, helping cells to age more slowly, new research suggests.

(Natalie Rahhal/ Daily Mail) — Women tend to live longer than men, and the key may be in the protective effects estrogen has on chromosomes, new research suggests.

One of our best gauges of longevity is the length of telomeres, the set of genetic information at the tips of chromosomes.

Women’s telomeres tend to be longer than men’s and to stay that way for longer, though exactly why telomere-length is associated with longer lifespans.

Now, new research from the University of California, San Francisco, suggests that estrogen actually stokes the activity of an enzyme that helps to lengthen telomeres and may extend lifespans.

On average, women life about five percent longer than men throughout the world, though the gender gap varies significantly from country to country. (…)

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