More indestructible than The Mysterion?

[daifu-orchid (imported)]

It's always good to know the chances of beating the odds in the game of life. Do eunuchs live longer? Seems that old studies suggested so, newer ones not so, but I came by this relatively new look, and thought it worth sharing:

Looks like I might be terrorizing the EA for maybe 7 years more than I thought! Watch out , everyone!

Apart from losing the nuts, what else gives this much increase in male longevity?

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/2w9FEdF ... ntemporary

(links to sources in this link.)

Abstract

A recent review article by David Gems discusses possible mechanisms by which testosterone and dihydrotestosterone could shorten the life expectancies of human males, and examines previous research on the effects of castration on male survival. However, Gems does not examine how age at castration affects how much castration extends one's life by, which this post does. In general, castration after puberty in males prolongs life to a lesser extent than castration before the onset of puberty.

Additionally, Gems' review does not estimate how long modern-day eunuchs might live relative to intact human males. Two of the other three known studies on the effects of castration on human life expectancies found that, historically, castration prolonged life by more than a decade in the median case. However, some of the life expectancy gains from castration are due to the increased ability of eunuchs to fight off infections. The fact that fewer men die from infections in the 21st century than was the case in previous centuries means that modern-day eunuchs gain fewer years of life from castration than eunuchs gained from castration in the past. As seen from comparing Figure 3b and Figure 4, eunuchs castrated just before the onset of puberty extended their (mean) life expectancies by 11 years in Hamilton & Mestler's study, though modern eunuchs castrated at similar ages might expect to extend their life expectancies by 7 years.

[DeaconBlues (imported)]

I wonder, seriously, if this information was more widely known, how many men would want to get castrated? Think about it, as someone is "breathing their last" in a hospital bed, they might be thinking something like "I really wish I had never smoked cigarettes.... I wish I had quit smoking sooner.... I wish I had exercised daily and.... could just live one more year to see my grandchildren grow up.... " Then, if you consider that getting castrated could very well extend your life by SEVEN years, maybe some younger men would see that it is not such an odd thing, to want to live longer and most importantly live HEALTHY longer. There are just too many myths, misperceptions and just plain ignorance surrounding castration and it's real effects.

[erikboy (imported)]

from some study I read that there is a correlation between heart attack rates and higher T levels in males older than 45. the older the male at high T levels the higher chance to have heart attack.

So at least this is a proven fact. I think this study was published on pubmed.

[Arab Nights (imported)]

I saw a clip where some cutie talk personality was fascinated by the idea of castration leading to a longer life. Of course with a grin she asked one of the guys on her show if he would get castrated if he could live longer. He made a very valid point - the quality of life. If those seven years were like getting seven more years in your twenties, he might think about it. But if you got seven more years living with your body at an age of eighties, naw, pass. His logic solved the whole thing for me. Imagine, getting castrated so you would live from ninety to ninety seven.

[daifu-orchid (imported)]

Maybe do the reproductive stage of life, enjoy it to the full, and then enjoy being a long-lived eunuch?

You wouldn't have to tell anyone, unless you wanted.

Perhaps castration would then be more socially acceptable, even widely desirable?

[racerboy (imported)]

The question is whether these studies have taken age at castration into account. If you are looking primarily at boys castrated before puberty, you might get a wildly different result as compared with, say, men aged 30+ at castration. And if you lump them all together, the results are still likely to be skewed. What if the longevity benefits accrue only to those castrated before, say, age 20? Then there's no point in being castrated later in life. And if you're already in your 60s or 70s, or even your 80s, how much is castration likely to extend your life?

Plus, the actuarial definition of life expectancy is a sort of "half life." Your life expectancy is the number of years till half of the people your age are dead, (or your current age plus that number, depending on whether by "life expectancy" you mean "expected time left" or "total time expected"). I think you have to be 116 before your "expected time left" decreases to zero.

I guess what I am asking is if castration at age 10 increases your life expectancy by 10 years, how much does it increase your life expectancy if you are already 30? ...Or 40? ...Or 60? For example, if castration at 60 only gives you an additional month, then having it done as a life-prolonging measure probably isn't worth the downtime.

[daifu-orchid (imported)]

"

he question is whether these studies have taken age at castration into account. .....

"

Just so. The references go to to the age question.

If interested, click the link to the original source. There's lots there to think about.

[daifu-orchid (imported)]

A Yahoo question was asked: " Are there really any health benefits of castration, for men?

I know it's irreversible but what are the benefits, other than birth control, that castration causes?

Serious answers only please!!! "

( https://answers.yahoo.com/question/inde ... ccounter=1 )

And top off the list came:

" Best Answer: Reduces beard growth to almost zero, stops the balding process, turns the individual from being a man into being a metrosexual -- in fact a sexless individual, shrinks the penis into soft, floppy insignificance and useless for sexual intercourse even if the owner wanted to use it for that purpose. Most women would see all these things as advantages, most men would see them as disadvantages.

"

So if it is good for lifespan, and the ladies like it.....?

Ladies? Anyone a view?

[daifu-orchid (imported)]

......

I guess what I am asking is if castration at age 10 increases your life expectancy by 10 years, how much does it increase your life expectancy if you are already 30? ...Or 40? ...Or 60? For example, if castration at 60 only gives you an additional month, then having it done as a life-prolonging measure probably isn't worth the downtime.

Hmm... life expectancy and survival at a given age of castration is interesting. It seems likely that cardiovascular disease is one significant cause of morbidity and mortality related to T. This would suggest that the earlier every man were castrated the better? Maybe have the kids first, and then, "Hubby, my dear, off you go to get fixed! That way we'll have you around for longer."

How many would retaliate by threatening a penectomy?