Overview
- Official data show men average 78.2 years versus 83 for women nationwide, with the gap about six years in Saxony and 4.4 years in Bavaria.
- Doctors report men attend far fewer checkups, and Bavaria’s health minister urges take-up of insured screenings including prostate exams from 45 and abdominal aortic aneurysm screening at 65.
- The RKI counted 74,895 new prostate cancer cases in 2022, noting PSA test use had risen over time but has recently fallen, despite being a simple blood test.
- Men face higher burdens of disease, with roughly 20% higher cancer incidence and about 60% more cardiovascular disease, and they experience more strokes across age groups.
- Experts highlight modifiable risks—smoking, alcohol, diet, hazardous work and delayed help-seeking—with research indicating social and lifestyle factors, rather than biology, drive most of the gap.