A device to prevent heart failure is twice as effective in women

Women tend to develop heart disease about 10 years later than men — in part, it's believed, because of the heart-protective effects of ovarian estrogens, which are around until menopause. But the female advantage seems to end there. Because women develop heart disease later, they're more likely to have coexisting conditions, like diabetes, which can complicate treatment and recovery. And because they have smaller hearts and coronary vessels, surgery can be more difficult for them. Women are more likely to die after procedures such as bypass surgery and angioplasty.

But now a study suggests that one treatment for heart failure actually works better in women than men (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Feb. 15, 2011).