The cougar longevity plan?
According to Drefahl’s report in the journal Demography, a man who is between seven and nine years older than his wife has an 11% lower mortality rate than a man whose wife is the same age as him. However, a woman who is between seven and nine years older than her husband has a 20% greater mortality rate than if she were with a man the same age.
The article includes a nice graph,
Women marrying a partner seven to nine years younger increase their relative mortality risk by 20% compared with couples where both are the same age. But the relative mortality risk of a husband who is seven to nine years older is reduced by 11%. Source: Sven Drefahl
Considering that the research was done in Germany, does that apply to people in other countries?
Tags: Fausta's blog
May 13th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
My sweetie is 13 years younger. I’m going to live till I’m 144 years old (that’s gross, I know). And on my 144th birthday, I’ll be shot to death by a jealous bride-groom, and he’ll have reason to be jealous.
May 14th, 2010 at 6:25 am
Yeah, but maybe they die with a smile on their face?
May 14th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Isn’t the risk of dying 100% no matter what?
May 14th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Expat,
It’s not just the years in your life, is the life in your years. As Bingley said, they die with a smile on their faces.
May 15th, 2010 at 8:58 am
My personal insight on this subject is I would rather have a few years of incredible over many years of hum drum. I am happier for being with my younger man and if this shaves a few years off my survival rate then so be it. Nothing worth having comes without a cost. I have been married to a man my own age and truth be said, I would have slit my own wrist had I stayed married to a man who was controlling, possessive, and narrow minded.
May 16th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
> Considering that the research was done in Germany, does that apply to people in other countries?
One would assume, but of course getting the stats is always a good idea.
> Isn’t the risk of dying 100% no matter what?
No, there’s at least one exception. I wouldn’t count on it applying to you or me, of course.
> I would have slit my own wrist had I stayed married to a man who was controlling, possessive, and narrow minded.
Ummmm, last I checked these qualities were not directly tied to age in any reliable manner.
To those “cougars” among you: More power to ya. But I do want to suggest that you should be rejective of catty statements about M-F age differentials, in both directions. I’m not saying you openly contribute, but few women defend, which is a form of contribution. Let people be happy with their own choices, and tell Mrs. Grundy to go fly a kite — it’s not her place to approve or disapprove.