Estrogen-associated COX-2 Pathways Explain Protection From Heart Disease In Female Mice

Heart disease is less pronounced in women than in men as humans age, but this difference narrows after menopause. Some studies have shown that estrogen slows heart disease in mouse models, but the mechanism is largely unknown. Now scientists from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine show for the first time that in female mice protection from hardening of the arteries purported to come from higher levels of estrogen acts predominately through cyclooxygenase (COX)-2.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041123212242.htm