SETU Carlow Dr co-authors health report that finds 40% of men die earlier than women

A researcher at South East Technological University (SETU) in Carlow has co-authored a health report launched by Movember today that has found that 40% of men die earlier than women. 

The Real Face of Men's Health report saw contribution from Dr Noel Richardson who is the University's Director for the National Centre for Men's Health. 

It found that two in five (40.2%) of men die prematurely, before the age of 75, and men are 40% more likely than women to die early across all five leading causes of death.

Even more shocking, men living in deprived areas were found to die prematurely 150% more often than those in more affluent areas. 

The five leading causes of years of life lost among men are coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and suicide.

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Dr Richardson co-authored the report alongside colleagues from Movember and the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland.

His chapter, Being a Man in Ireland Today – Masculinity and Changing Roles, explores how cultural change, economic pressures and shifting expectations of masculinity are shaping men’s health decisions and outcomes.

“This landmark report sheds considerable light on the state of men’s health in Ireland today and the range of factors that shape health outcomes in men. It makes a compelling case that men’s health matters, and that improving men’s health benefits not just men, but has important ripple effects for women’s and children’s health and for wider communities," Dr Richardson said. 

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A long-standing leader in men’s health, Dr Richardson has contributed to national and international policy, including Ireland’s National Men’s Health Policy (2009), the first of its kind worldwide, and the WHO European Region Men’s Health Report (2018).

At SETU, he continues to inform public discourse, influence national policy and deliver community-based programmes that promote men’s wellbeing

The report calls on Government to progress the National Men’s Action Plan 2024–2028, with an initial €10 million investment and cross-government support, ensuring the needs of men’s health are met in a coordinated and sustained way.