Cardiovascular disease . In reality, while a man's risk of heart disease increases after age 45, women are also at risk - after the age of 55. Women who have heart attacks are twice as likely as men to die from them. Heart disease is the number-one killer of women in North America. In fact, after age 50, more than half of all deaths in women are due to some form of cardiovascular disease.
Many more women die from heart disease than from breast cancer.
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by decreased bone density. When the bones lose density, they become porous and fragile - leading to an increased risk of fracture, particularly in the hip and spine. There are many factors that affect a woman's risk for developing osteoporosis, but one of the most significant is menopause. Studies have demonstrated that estrogen plays a key role in maintaining bone density. After menopause, when estrogen levels decline, bone loss increases.