Combination estrogen and progesterone therapy increases the risk of which condition?

• A. Heart attack or stroke
• B. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and gallbladder disease
• C. Breast cancer only with family history
• D. Preserving ovarian function in premenopausal women

Answer: (B)

Combination estrogen and progesterone therapy is known to significantly increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and gallbladder disease. This is particularly important to consider for women who are using hormone replacement therapy or contraception that includes both hormones. The additional estrogen can lead to increased coagulability of the blood, enhancing the likelihood of thrombosis, especially in women who may already have risk factors.

When estrogen levels rise, they can affect the balance of clotting factors in the body, leading to the potential for blood clots to form in the deep veins, which can be a serious condition known as DVT. Similarly, the effects of estrogen on bile composition can contribute to the formation of gallstones and subsequent gallbladder disease.

While heart attack or stroke are certainly risks associated with hormone therapy, the specificity of the question regarding conditions that are more directly linked to the combination of estrogen and progesterone makes the correlation with DVT and gallbladder disease more appropriate. The development of breast cancer, while a concern, is not directly contingent upon the family history but rather is associated with prolonged exposure to estrogen, and the preservation of ovarian function in premenopausal women is not a risk factor but a potential aim of therapy. Thus,