Heart disease is an equal opportunity killer.
Of the approximately 480,000 heart attack deaths that occur in the U.S. each year, nearly half are women. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of American women. Though men may develop heart disease at younger ages, by age 65, women are equally at risk with men. It is commonly believed that women's hormones make them immune to heart disease, but this is only partially true. Estrogen has proven to protect women from coronary disease.