Today, heart disease has become an equal opportunity killer. The statistics are clear. Of all females aged 45-64, one in seven suffers some form of heart disease. The chart at the right shows the dramatic difference between perception and reality. Most women feel that breast cancer is the leading cause of death, the the reality is quite different.
Women are twice as likely to die from heart disease than all cancers combined.
Women's risk for heart disease begins 10-12 years later than in men. This is due in part to the protective effect of estrogen. This may be why women who go through menopause early, without estrogen replacement, are at higher risk for coronary heart disease. Symptoms to watch for are shown at the left. As listed above, diabetes is a contributing risk factor in women than in men.