The Decline in Death Rates, 2006, may be due to Increased Testosterone

Copyright 2006, James Michael Howard, Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.A.

It is my hypothesis that testosterone, for reasons I will not explain at
this time, reduces the life span.  This is most easily seen in men vs.
women and black vs. white, in that men and blacks produce more
testosterone.  This effect has recently been verified in another species
(American Naturalist 2006; 167: 665-681).  It is also my hypothesis that
the “secular trend,” the increase in size and earlier puberty in children,
is produced by an increase in the percentage of individuals of higher
testosterone within the population with time.  Testosterone is increasing
within the population and is driven by women of higher testosterone.

You may be aware of recent findings of reduced birth rates within
populations of women within the U.S. that cannot be totally explained by
contraception or abstinence.  I suggest this is also due to the secular
trend; excessive testosterone actually reduces fertility in women.  I have
written a paper on this which includes the logic and supporting citations
(http://www.anthropogeny.com/birth%20rate%20secular%20trend.htm ).  I
suggest this phenomenon is directly causative of the decline in death
rates.

I suggest the newly discovered decline in death rates results from less
reproduction of women of high testosterone.  This would reduce the
percentage of individuals of high testosterone within the population,
therefore, reducing a group which exhibits shorter life spans.  The report
stated that the increase in life span was greater for blacks than whites.
The impact of reduced fertility would be higher in black women.  Since
testosterone is known to increase vulnerability to viral infections, it is
also possible that the influenza pandemic of 1918 removed individuals of
high testosterone.  This pandemic markedly reduced the sexually active age
group.  Subsequently, death rates were reduced in the late 30s / early 40s.