Cardiovascular diseases, heart attack and stroke, kills more women than all forms of cancers put together. This practical handbook shows how to assess your own risk and how to reduce that risk by making some relatively modest lifestyle changes. Many studies have added to the understanding of what causes heart disease in women. The role of risk factors such as blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol, body weight and inactivity have been clarified, but these days other factors such as the pill, the menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) shows that there are female-specific factors which contribute to heart diseases in women.