I am currently 69 so when I was peri - and menopausal it was during the time after the study that made everyone believe HRT was a no-no, therefore, consequently I now have significant osteoporosis but don’t wish to take all the scary meds the endocrinologist wants me to take. When I was 68 I spoke to my GYN about possibly starting HRT to stop my osteoporosis from worsening and to take away hot flashes I was still having( I was 10 yrs post menopausal). She stated that timing is important and starting HRT 10 yrs or > after menopause is controversial…. She discussed my case with the board at Yale for other opinions and consensus was they would approve transdermal estriadol and progesterone in my case - but they asked I read up on the studies of woman my age and timing post menopause and all research I found mentioned the pretty big increase in risk of dementia for woman starting HRT 10 yrs or > post menopause ( 38% higher risk).
I felt too high a risk and decided against .. just wanted to share in case this information could help anyone else….
Good luck