Testosterone is to blame

The most common theory about why women tend to outlive men is that of biological differences. The high levels of testosterone found in men tend to have serious long-term effects on overall health. Other issues, such as differences in fat storage contribute to overall poorer health in men. Men tend to have more 'visceral fat' which surrounds the organs, in comparison to subcutaneous fat, which is under the skin, more commonly seen in women. This visceral fat can have long-term effects on health issues such as cardiovascular disease.^[1] Testosterone is responsible for physical strength in the short-term, but its long-term presence spells a whole host of issues for the male body, such as heart disease, infections, and cancer. In contrast, the higher levels of estrogen found in women work as somewhat of an antioxidant for the female body, which helps to prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease for much longer.^[2][3][4]