What is the difference between heart disease and coronary artery disease?
Heart disease can be a general term referring to any condition that affects the heart. However, it usually refers to a condition known as coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is a chronic disease in which the coronary arteries gradually harden and narrow (a process known as atherosclerosis).

What are the symptoms of CAD?
Symptoms typically associated with CAD include chest pain and shortness of breath, especially after stress or exercise. Women with CAD may experience breast pain or a feeling of indigestion in the upper abdomen. However, as many as half of people have no symptoms, despite the presence of CAD. The absence of chest pain or other common symptoms can set the stage for a heart attack that occurs without warning.

What is the relationship between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease?
Elevated cholesterol levels put people at risk for both heart disease and stroke. According to the American Heart Association's Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics ‑- 2005 Update, more than 56 million American women have borderline to high cholesterol levels.

Does menopause have any effect on heart disease risk?
Women usually have higher levels of HDL ("good" cholesterol) prior to menopause because estrogen (the female sex hormone) raises them. Therefore, women are particularly at risk for heart disease after menopause, when their estrogen levels decline and HDL drops. In addition, LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels increase at menopause.