Cougars Die Young, Sugar Daddies Live Longer

Dailymail.co.uk - His baby face and taut torso may make her the envy of her friends. But a toyboy husband could send a woman to an early grave.

Research shows that women who tie the knot with younger men tend to die before their time. And the younger her beloved is, the harder it is on her health.

Men, on the other hand appear to thrive when they marry someone younger. In fact, the more youthful his wife, the longer a man lives.

The finding will be a shock to growing numbers of 'cougars' - middle-aged

The disparity was revealed by an analysis of the marriage and death records of two million Dutch men and women.

It showed that men who marry younger women live longer than those who choose a spouse of their own age.

For instance, a man with a wife seven to nine years his junior - often nicknamed a 'sugar daddy' - is 7 per cent less likely to die at any given time than one who picks a woman of the same age.

And the bigger the age gap, the longer his life. In contrast, a woman who snags a man seven to nine years younger is 20 per cent more likely to die than one who tied the knot with a chap of her own age.

And for any woman 'lucky' enough to marry a man more than 15 years younger, the risk soars to 30 per cent, say the findings, reported in the journal Demography.

The researchers from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Demographic-Research said it is not clear why marrying a toyboy is so bad for a woman's health.

But they believe men benefit from having a much younger wife because she will be able to nurse her husband as he ages.

She is also more likely to broaden her husband's social circle and interests, boosting his mental and physical health.

And it could be a man has to be healthier - and wealthier - than average to attract a much younger woman in the first place.

At the same time, women may shorten their lives by marrying a toyboy because their husband is likely to be less willing to nurse them through old age.

Researcher Sven Drefahl, said: 'The greater the age difference, the lower the wife's life expectancy.

'The best choice for a woman is to marry a man of exactly the same age.'