Losing Our Built-In Protection
Natural female hormones (estrogen) produced by a women's own body are thought to provide some protection, which is then lost gradually over the period of menopause (ages 45 to 55).  One way that estrogen might reduce a woman's risk of coronary heart disease is to raise HDL and lower LDL cholesterol levels.  However, if menopause is caused by hysterectomy, the risk of heart attack rises significantly.

High Triglycerides
Triglyceride is the chemical form in which most fats exist.  High triglyceride levels often go with higher total and LDL cholesterol levels and lower HDL levels.  High triglycerides are related to diabetes, which is also a risk factor for heart disease.

Normal triglyceride levels vary by age and sex, but most doctors use 85 to 250 mg/dl as the "normal" range.  The Framingham Heart Study, the most thorough and long-lived investigation of heart disease even undertaken, found that higher triglyceride levels are related directly to higher risk of heart attack in women only - not in men.,

Diabetes
More than 80 percent of those who have diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.  The most common form of diabetes unusually appears in mid-life and is not dependent on insulin.  The risk of heart attack in diabetic women is more than double that of non-diabetic women the same age.

Obesity
People who are more than 30% overweight are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke, even if they have no other risk factors.  Between the ages of 30 and 55, the amore overweight a woman is, the greater her risk for coronary heart disease.  70% of women with coronary heart disease are obese.  Obesity is related to low HDL cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Alcohol
The key to alcohol and your risk of heart disease is moderation.  More than two drinks a day can raise blood pressure.  In large amounts, alcohol can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and disease of the liver, pancreas and nervous system.  It also can cause heart failure.  Constant drinking to excess and binge drinking can lead to stroke.

Stress
Stress is the bodily or mental tension that results from physical, chemical or emotional factors.  Stress can refer to physical effort as well as mental anxiety.  All people feel stress, but they feel it in different amounts and react to it in different ways.  Though life would be dull without stress, too much over a long time can create health problems.