Objective To examine gender differences according to health status in the oldest old people of the community. Design Cross-sectional multicentre study, within the framework of a clinical trial on falls and malnutrition. Setting 7 primary health centres. Participants Non-institutionalised patients of 85 years or over. Methods The data collected included, socioeconomic data, cardiovascular risk factors, Barthel Index (BI), cognitive status with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Charlson Index to measure comorbidity, nutritional risk evaluated by Nutritional Assessment questionnaire (MNA), mean visual analogue self-rating scale in Euroqol- 5D (EQ-VAS) to assess health related quality life and, Gijón social risk test, and prescribed drugs. Results A total of 312 subjects were included, of which 61.6% were women, 53% widows and a third of them lived alone. High blood pressure was observed in 76%, dyslipidemia in 51.2%, diabetes in 17.4%, median BI 95 (rank 0-100), MMSE 28 (0-35), Charlson index 1 (0-7), MNA 25 (10-30), Gijón test 10 (5-21), EQ-VAS 60 (0-100) and the mean prescription drugs 6.1 ± 3.3. Women most frequently lived alone ( P < .001), fell more ( P < .006), had a greater nutritional ( P < .016) and social risk ( P < .001). Men were more likely to be married ( P < .001), had better cognition ( P < .003), better functional status ( P < .018), and higher comorbidity ( P < .001). Conclusion Being a 85 years old man is associated with being married, having better functionality and cognition, and a higher comorbidity. While being a woman is associated with living alone, a higher rate of falls, and nutritional and social risk. These results are important to help this group of elderly to maintain their position in the community.