Sex differences in response to longevity interventions.

Interventions to extend lifespan and healthspan(definition) are of major interest, but such interventions may affect male and female organisms differently. Whether this is due sex-specific differences in baseline lifespan, or differences in sexually dimorphic characteristics such as body size, adiposity, metabolism, or even gonadal hormone or chromosome status remains unknown. Here we discuss the literature on how males and females respond differently to various types of interventions known to extend lifespan and explore possible underlying mechanisms. Ultimately, understanding sex as a biological variable in the context of aging may reveal sex-specific strategies to improve healthspan and treat age-related disease.