New research suggests that Americans' risk for developing dementia over a lifetime may be higher than previously thought. A study found that after age 55, people have up to a 4 in 10 chance of eventually developing dementia — if they live long enough. The risk is highest after age 75, but doctors say there are ways to reduce that risk. Controlling blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol is good for both your brain and your heart. They also urge staying physically and socially active. The study was published Monday in Nature Medicine.

At least one in 20 people who are pregnant develop a scary complication called preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder that kills 70,000 women and 500,000 babies worldwide every year. New blood tests may help doctors predict and manage the condition. One test is designed to be performed between 11 and 14 weeks gestation. Two others are used in the second and third trimesters on hospitalized patients to assess whether they are at risk for severe preeclampsia within a couple of weeks.

Women often use hormone therapy to relieve hot flashes and other menopause symptoms — and new research suggests whether they choose pills, patches or creams might matter for their blood pressure. Women are more prone to heart disease after menopause and high blood pressure is one key risk factor. Canadian researchers tracked records of 112,000 women who used estrogen-only hormone therapy. Those taking oral estrogen were more likely to develop high blood pressure than those taking versions absorbed vaginally or through the skin. The findings were published Monday in the journal Hypertension.