ABSTRACT

One of the hallmarks of human aging is the gender difference. Across many different cultures and genetic backgrounds, women on the average outlive men by 7 years (see Chapter 2). Along with this, women seem more resistant to certain types of diseases than men. The fact that this gender difference is so robust would lead one to believe that it has, at least in part, a biologic basis. Gender differences are also seen in animal models of aging such as fruit flies, mice, and rats. The study of these animal models has shown that they mimic aspects of human aging in important ways. It is becoming apparent that common biochemical pathways modulate aging in these organisms and that these pathways have their counterparts in humans.1 Thus, the study of gender differences in the aging of these organisms may give some insight into the marked gender differences seen in human aging.