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Despite an overall reduction in the death rate due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the United States over the last several decades, the rate of decline is less for women than men and less for African-American women than white women. 1 Due to an aging population, the absolute number of deaths due to CVD in women is actually increasing (Fig 1). 2 In the year 2000 nearly 50 million American women will be older than 50 years. Because the risk of CVD increases with age, there is a need for an increased awareness of the importance of CVD as a major public health issue for older women. The estimated direct and indirect costs of CVD and stroke in men and women combined will exceed $250 billion in 1997. 2 CVD ranks first among all disease categories in hospital discharges for women. The sheer magnitude of the epidemic in women necessitates a strong emphasis on prevention to reduce the burden of CVD …