A study conducted by researchers from the Duke University Medical Center was the first of its kind to identify how specific chronic health conditions contribute to the differences in disability rates between older men and women. The study - an analysis of the Cardiovascular Health Study - included 5,888 participants over the age of 65. It looked at their ability to perform such common activities of daily living as grooming, eating, getting dressed, and overall upper and body movement, among others.

The investigators found that women suffered up to 2.5 times more disabilities than men of the same age, and up to 48 percent of the "gender gap in disability" could be attributed to higher rates of obesity and arthritis. "While women tend to live longer than men, this study shows that they are at greater risk of living with disability and much of the excess disability is attributable to higher rates of obesity and arthritis," says Heather Whitson, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and lead investigator of the study. "This is important because it suggests that women's tendency to pack on extra pounds in their child-bearing and peri-menopausal years translates into loss of independence in their old age."

The findings, which were just presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, also suggest that today's obesity epidemic will have its greatest impact on the quality of life in older women because obesity affects women more than men. Moreover, the researchers found that women are becoming as susceptible as men to cardiovascular disease, stroke and emphysema, with rates of heart disease in women not improving as quickly as in men and smoking-related diseases becoming more common in women. Women were also found to have more fractures, vision problems and bronchitis than men.

"Women have a natural tendency to gain more weight than men over the lifespan, but may be more motivated to maintain a healthy weight if they realize that those extra pounds make it more likely that they will be disabled in later years - potentially becoming a burden to their children or requiring a nursing home," says Dr. Whitson. The next step for the researchers is to evaluate whether treatment helps older women who become disabled due to obesity or arthritis. If research demonstrates that treatment to help them maintain a healthy weight or control their arthritis pain does not help them regain function, it will become even more critical to focus attention on preventing these common health conditions in younger populations.

News Release: Women live longer, not better, largely because of obesity and arthritis    www.eurekalert.org   May 2, 2009