Age and Heredity

Increasing age and heredity (including race) are two major risk factors for heart disease and stroke that women can't control. As women age, their chance of developing heart disease increases. Approximately four of five people who die of heart disease are 65 or older. If your family has a history of heart disease, you're more likely to develop heart disease. Risk is higher for African-American women, whose death rate is 69 percent higher than the rate for white women. Women who have had a previous heart attack, stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA) sometimes known as a temporary "mini-stroke", also face a greater risk.

Reference:
"Risk Factors-Can't Change," American Heart Association, 2002.