Women are at risk for heart disease, just like men. It is a myth that only men have heart attacks. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women who have gone through menopause. Heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined. However, by about age 65, a woman's risk is almost the same as a man's.
Women are less likely to survive heart attacks than men.
We don't know why this is. It may be that women don't seek or receive treatment as soon as men. Or it may be because women's smaller hearts and blood vessels are more easily damaged. Doctors are working on finding answers to these questions. There's no question, however, that it makes sense to prevent heart problems before they start.