The incidence of CHD in black women is second only to white males. Whereas the protective effects of estrogen are thought to protect white women from developing CHD in their pre-menopausal years, this advantage does not seem to extend to black women. It has also been reported that in African women, a resting heart rate of greater than 84 beats per minute carries a threefold increase in mortality risk over those women with a heart rate less than 74 (2).