ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Heart disease is the number one cause of death in American women and a significant cause of morbidity. In 1999 in the USA alone, over 260,000 women died from heart attacks and other coronary events, whereas over 41,000 women died from breast cancer and 63,000 died from lung cancer. As with men, the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women rises with age, though women typically develop symptoms of heart disease around 10-15 years later than men. Men typically experience their first heart attack around age 50 years, while women are usually aged 60-70 years. In addition, heart disease is unusual in premenopausal women, and women who have had their ovaries surgically removed are more likely to have a heart attack and to suffer a heart attack at an earlier age. These observations suggest that hormones may play a role in the delayed development of heart disease in women, and that hormones may potentially have a protective effect.
