Men twice as likely as women to die before 65 – study

A new study has shown that men are twice as likely as women to die before they hit the age of 65.

The European Union study found that 630,000 men of working age die every year, compared to just 300,000 female deaths.

Alcohol and sexual behaviour were attributed to the startling figures, which is hoped will encourage men to lead healthier lifestyles

Key author of the study Dr Richard de Visser, of the Unvetrsity of Sussex, looked at the the effects of alcohol, drug use and sexual behaviour to find strong links between their prevalance among those that die prematurely.

'Lifestyles are not simply the product of individual choice," said the doctor. Those who are in poor material and social conditions eat less healthily, exercise less and are more likely to smoke or misuse drugs.

'In the context of addressing premature mortality among men, there is a growing awareness of the need for lifestyle modification in early life among men engaged in damaging health behaviours.'

President of the European Men's Health Forum Dr Ian Banks added: 'This is not just about health. Premature male death undermines the economy, undermines families, undermines women and their health and undermines our social security and health services.

'Europe will have far fewer men of working age in the years to come so if we're to succeed economically we need them to be in decent health.'

Some of the most startling findings from the survey included the fact that one in seven EU deaths is caused by smoking, while 82% of heroin overdoses occur in men.