Menopause

During menopause, women stop producing the sex hormone estrogen, which offers some protection against heart disease. In recent years, doctors used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to restore estrogen to pre-menopausal levels and to reduce a woman's risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). But because of recent clinical trials, the American Heart Association recommends that HRT should NOT be used to prevent a second heart attack to reduce a woman's risk for CVD.

Reference:
"Menopause and the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke," American Heart Association, 2002.