Sex differences in healthy aging and mortality in heterogeneous stock (HS) mice

Melissa Hardy, Pennsylvania State University
Mira M. Hidajat, Pennsylvania State University
Gerald McClearn, Pennsylvania State University
Roger McCarter, Pennsylvania State University

The sex paradox in mortality and morbidity has been a long-standing subject of interest among demographers. Research in complex systems such as human populations has uncovered many mechanisms that influence this paradox, including biological, social, and psychological factors but have been less successful in disentangling these mechanisms. Perspectives from laboratory animal models can provide insight into sex differences in the intersection between mortality and morbidity by controlling for environmental factors that may influence this outcome. In this study, we examine active life expectancy in a sample of 319 heterogeneous stock (HS) mice which are particularly useful in studying genetically heterogeneous groups such as human populations. We use multiple measures of activity assessed at 6 time points. We expect to find sex differences in active life expectancy of the HS mice, which represent biological differences in the progression of functional limitation in the aging process.