> “The hypothesis is that estrogen can be protective, so that women may develop risk for heart disease later, by about 10 years, but then after menopause, it catches up,” Khan said. “After menopause, and particularly during that perimenopause period for women, that risk can accelerate.”

> By contrast, the researchers found no meaningful sex difference in stroke risk; men and women reached similar stroke incidence at nearly the same ages. Heart failure also showed little difference early on, but men had a slightly higher incidence rate by age 65.