Women have heart attacks, on average, when they are older. Some 85 percent of all heart attack deaths in women occur over the age of 65. Before menopause, women seem to be better protected from heart disease by the female hormones. Estrogen is known to increase HDL the so-called good cholesterol and it also helps to prevent fatty buildup in blood vessels. In a recent study, women who took estrogen and progestin after menopause had a 61 percent lower risk of serious heart problems than women who did not.
Older age makes diagnosis more difficult, contributing to delay.
Since women tend to be older, they may have other health problems arthritis, osteoporosis or diabetes, for example. Such complications make it harder to diagnose a heart attack and treat it quickly. Women should talk with their doctors about these complications before a heart attack occurs. Women also delay because they don t want to bother anybody. Or they may worry about who will take care of the children if they have to go to the hospital.