For many years, coronary heart disease was widely believed to be a man's disease. We now know that being a woman does not protect you from coronary heart disease, although it may delay symptoms. Men typically develop the disease after age 45, ten years earlier than women do. High levels of estrogen protect women from the disease into their mid-50s, until these levels drop following menopause. After 55, the death rate for women climbs and after age 70, the death rate for women exceeds that for men.
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