A previous theory of why women outlive men suggested that the female sex hormone, oestrogen, could have a protective effect on the heart. But Dr. Goldspink dismisses this idea, saying that there is no discernible dropoff in female heart function after menopause （更年期）, when oestrogen （雌激素） levels decrease dramatically. However, oestrogen does have a beneficial effect on blood vessels. The study found that blood flow to the muscles and skin of the limbs decreases with age in both sexes. The changes in the structure of the blood vessels occur earlier in men, but women catch up soon after menopause.
It’s not all bad news for men, though. In a related study, the team found that the hearts of veteran male athletes were as powerful as those of inactive 20yearold male undergraduates. But can men really recover lost heart function after a lifetime of inactivity and poor diet? Is it ever too late to start exercising? “I think the answer is no,” says Dr. Goldspink. “The health benefits to be gained from sensible exercise are to be recommended, regardless of age.” So if you are male and getting on, get on with it
31. A medical explanation as to the question why women live longer than men is that .
A) women have to live long enough to look after grandchildren
B) women’s hearts hardly grow old
C) women have more endurance than men
D) women are superior at evolutionary scale
32. The power of the female heart remains undiminished between the ages of 18 and 70 probably because .
A) women almost lose no contractile muscle cells in the walls of their hearts
B) women’s oestrogen has a protective effect on their heart
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