Women over 50 place value quality of life more than adding extra years to their lives, while men are more likely to prioritize living longer, according to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and University College London (UCL).

Researchers analyzed responses from more than 6,000 adults ages 50+ who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a long-running survey led by UCL. They examined six areas of healthcare preference: risk-taking; future planning; quality versus length of life; body function versus appearance; willingness to try experimental treatments; and whether treatment decisions should be left to doctors.

Women were significantly more likely than men to prioritize quality of life over length of life, and less likely to want doctors to make healthcare decisions on their behalf. They were also more cautious about risk and less willing to try experimental treatments. Men, by contrast, were more likely to hand decision-making power to medical professionals and less likely to put quality of life ahead of simply living longer.

Age also shaped preferences. Adults 75+ were more likely to avoid risk, reject experimental treatments, and defer healthcare decisions to their doctor than those in their 50s and early 60s, and were more likely to prioritize how well their body functions over how it looks. People with fewer educational opportunities were also more likely to leave treatment decisions to their doctors.

Despite these broad patterns, the researchers said responses varied enormously across individuals, with no single "typical" older patient. "That is why it is so important for healthcare professionals to have conversations with patients about what matters most to them, rather than making assumptions," said study coauthor Paola Zaninotto, PhD, deputy director of ELSA.

The researchers said their findings could support more personalized conversations between clinicians and patients, particularly in short appointments, though they cautioned that demographic patterns should never substitute for asking individual patients directly what matters to them. 

To download the full study, published in PLOS One, click here