It is a myth that only men have heart attacks. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women past menopause. Heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined. Part of the confusion arises because women develop heart problems later in life than men - typically 7 or 8 years later. 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.
No one knows why. 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.