Cardiovascular disease is generally seen as primarily a male problem. Yet heart disease is the number one killer not only of men but of women; even in the 25-44 age range, it is second only to cancer in all forms as a killer of women There are many measures which women can take, on their own or with the help of their doctors, to alter or eliminate such risk factors as obesity, hypertension, excessive cholesterol intake, and smoking. But unless cardiovascular disease is recognized as a major women's health problem, we will be able to deal with it effectively.