In a special heart health section of Philly.com, Sara Sirna, director of the Temple Institute of Preventive Cardiology, pointed out some very important differences between the hearts of men and women. For example, a woman’s waist size can also help predict her risk of dying from heart disease. A waist measurement of 31½ inches or larger puts a woman into the overweight category and at higher risk, according to a recent study in Europe. In addition, a low HDL cholesterol reading before menopause can be a red flag for underlying heart disease in women, Sirna said.