Modern medicine has come a long way in reducing the number of women who die while pregnant or because of pregnancy. But women need to do their part too.

While physical activity is generally good for the body, vigorous sports activity can be risky for untrained people. The risks for women may be pretty rare, at least where the heart's concerned.

In general, women under the age of 60 are less likely than men to get heart disease. Having diabetes, however, can be a game changer, potentially raising a woman’s heart disease risk to that of a man.

As a child grows up, a mom's memory of the pregnancy and delivery tends to fade over time. But some pregnancy complications may be important to recall later.

Roughly one in four breast cancers has too much of a protein called HER2, which makes the cancer grow faster. The medication Herceptin (trastuzumab) targets the HER2 protein to help breast cancer patients live longer. But this medication may be linked to heart problems.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, and statins are one of the most common methods for preventing it. However, not many women-specific studies on statins exist.

High blood pressure and menopause can both put women at potential risk for heart disease. It's possible that having high blood pressure while pregnant can affect the severity of menopause.

Hormone replacement therapy is often considered for treatment of menopause symptoms. Could it potentially treat more serious conditions?

Estrogen — a hormone used to treat symptoms of menopause — has been shown to increase the risk for certain cancers. But other questions about the safety of estrogen therapy remain. For example, is it safe for the heart?

To treat severe hot flashes and other menopause symptoms, women may receive hormone replacement therapy. Some approaches, however, may pose lower heart risks than others.