Why did doctors give out HRT like candy previously?

Were there old studies that showed it helped with heart disease, and the new study simply countered the old results? Or, was there never studies showing these health effects? Were the old studies for the drugs not done long enough to see long term negative side effects? If not done long term, then how could doctors be claiming it would help protect a woman’s heart?

The claim for helping prevent heart disease is the one that stands out to me, since from what I understand now, the newer study was stopped before completition because so many women had heart attacks and strokes on the medication in the study. We already knew it might increase some female cancers.

I understand some women had horrible menopausal symptoms and they liked the relief HRT gave them. But, I had a relative who sailed through menopause, had been done for 20 years, and then at age 70 a new doctor convinced her to take the pills when she never had a complaint. It was awful for her, she said it woke up her ovaries and felt like she had daggers in them.