Meta-analysis of 27 studies finds hormone therapy reduces mortality in post-menopausal women < 60. A more recent 2013 study from Yale supports this conclusion. This study found a 28% reduction in mortality.
Yale study finds estrogen therapy in improves health in women ages 50-59. The problems with hormone therapy is synthetics and overdosing. The problem with the WHI was they used medroxy progesterone acetate--a synthetic progestin. That is not progesterone. This study estimated that 91,000 + died due to the uneducated view that estrogen HRT is dangerous. What is dangerous is leaving the HRT and BHRT recommendations to those with conflicts of interest and a lack of knowledge of the science.