Atherogenesis: why women live longer than men.

The total LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio, at higher levels, appears sufficient to account for the risk of clinical atherosclerosis in both sexes. At lower levels, however, women continue to enjoy less risk of atherosclerosis even at LDL:HDL cholesterol ratios equivalent to those in men. Median LDL levels are higher in men than in women until the menopause, beyond which a crossover occurs, and median levels become higher in women. However, though the difference narrows in the post-menopausal years, the LDL:HDL ratio is never higher in women than in men.