Men's life expectancy is catching up with women's

The historic gap between men and women's life expectancy could vanish as more and more women accustom themselves to the work hard-play hard culture of modern Britain, new figures from the Office of Health Economics show.

The rise of women in the workplace and the increasing prevalence of heavy drinking among women are leaving more women than ever vulnerable to illnesses traditionally experienced by men, the office's Compendium of Health Statistics says.

Although traditionally lower, male life expectancy is rising at a faster rate …