 Cardiovascular disease CVD remains the leading cause of mortality and disability in postmenopausal women. Menopause alters serum lipids and lipoproteins to produce a more atherogenic lipid profile that may contribute significantly to the increased risk for the development of CVD over the lifetime of women. Clinical trials have demonstrated a beneficial effect of soy protein containing isoflavones soy on plasma lipids and lipoproteins; however, these studies included small numbers of postmenopausal women and virtually none included sufficient African-American women. In addition, no published data existed in 2001 on the impact of soy on atherogenic lipoprotein subclasses in postmenopausal women. 