Should a 54 year old menopausal woman with no risk factors take estrogen/progesterone and for how long? what are the risks/ benefits as now understood

Treat symptoms only: There is a small increase 4-6/10, 000 in risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and blood clots associated with hrt(hormone replacement therapy). On the other side, HRT protects against fractures of hip and spine and alzheimer's disease.The benefit is 4-6/10, 000. There's a strong protection against cataracts, tooth loss, and vaginal dryness. I tell my patients to do what they feel they need to do.

Hrt benefits: The women's health initiative showed that healthy women who are within 10 years of menopause can benefit from HRT for symptoms of menopause, prevention of osteoporosis, dementia, and colon cancer. How long one stays on HRT depends on how healthy you remain. Traditional medicine says 2-5 years. As an age management md, i say as long as you stay healthy.