Association of early growth patterns with the process of aging

In recent years, significant increases in life expectancy have occurred. This increase has been most pronounced among females. As a result, there were 156 women for every 100 men over age 75 years in the United States in 1970. The sexual disparity of life expectancies has increased throughout this century. The reasons for this trend are unknown. Males experience higher mortality rates in both infectious and degenerative diseases. The prognosis for a male patient is generally poorer no matter what the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis or the course of treatment. It has been shown that the early stages of male growth and development are more susceptible to external perturbations. Thus, growth-maximizing diets have their greatest impact on male children. The connection between male responsiveness to environmental influences during early growth and vulnerability in the later years is significant to the understanding of the aging process.