They are almost three times more likely to die of heart attack than breast cancer. While men have more heart attacks, women catch up to men as they age. And women who do have heart attacks die of them more often than men. Around 44 percent of women who have heart attacks die within a year, compared to 27 percent of men. At older ages, women are twice as likely as men to die from heart attacks within a few weeks of the attack.
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.