HRT scares me because in addition to the recent studies, my MIL ended up with endometrial cancer three years after starting on Prempro. It was kinda strange to me that her doc even put her on it because she was very much post-menopausal (late 60s) at the time and was not having hot flashes or any other symptoms. She stated that her doc prescribed them because of the osteoporosis risk from being a woman, and yet, she was not in a super high risk group for that as she ate plenty of calcium-containing foods, drank milk, didn't smoke, was overweight (which does keep the bones stronger, despite the negatives of it), and did weight-bearing exercise as well. Fortunately the cancer was found early, and after a hysterectomy and discontinuing HRT, she is just fine now in her late 70s.

Fortunately my mom says that she had a relatively easy menopause transition and did not use HRT, so hopefully mine will be the same.