It is not true that cardiovascular disease is a man's disease only. On average, men suffer heart attacks 10 years earlier than women do. But as women approach the age of menopause, they may start to lose the protective effect of estrogen. Because women have heart attacks at older ages, they are more likely to die from them within a few weeks than men are.
Most women are more afraid of breast cancer than of heart disease and stroke.
Risk factors are conditions or activities that increase your likelihood of developing heart disease. There are a number of risk factors associated with heart disease and stroke. It is possible to prevent heart disease to some extent by reducing risk factors High blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, and being overweight are particular problems for women. As menopause approaches, estrogen production slows. Estrogen, as part of hormone replacement therapy, helps in reversing the lipid changes that occur with menopause.