The risk of women having heart attacks post-menopause is 5 times more likely than those who are pre-menopausal. Why is this? This is because oestrogen protects the arteries of a woman’s heart and when a woman goes through menopause her oestrogen levels decline. Low oestrogen also means a change to a woman's cholesterol levels, with an increase in bad cholesterol {LDL} and a decrease in good cholesterol {HDL} as well as changes in blood pressure levels. While heart disease is