Mid Life Question:

Heart disease kills more women than any other cause of death. After menopause, a woman's risk of heart disease and stroke increases. Women who have not reached menopause have a far lower risk of cardiovascular disease than men. The estrogen produced by women's ovaries before menopause protects them from heart attacks and stroke. When less estrogen is made after menopause, women lose much of this protection. The risk of heart attack and stroke then increases.