by an average of four years. when the two genders lead near identical lives however that difference is not so for now the. 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 affects our life expectancy. a good diet is crucial to overall health and