All cases of Alzheimer’s disease are dementias, but not all dementias are Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms caused by progressive cognitive decline, including memory loss, physical impairment, personality changes and more. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, occurring in approximately 60–80 percent of dementia cases. The second most common form of dementia is vascular dementia.
“Vascular dementia has been estimated to occur in approximately 5–10 percent of singular dementia cases,” says Addie Ricci, Executive Director at Bridges® by EPOCH at Norwalk, located in Norwalk, CT. “However, it’s more common in a condition called mixed dementia, which involves a person living with two or more types of dementia at once. Because the symptoms of vascular dementia can be identical to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, experts believe that vascular dementia is underdiagnosed in many cases.”
What is vascular dementia?
Vascular dementia, also known as multi-infarct dementia, is a type of dementia that occurs when blood flow is reduced or blocked to various regions of the brain. This is commonly due to a large stroke or a variety of mini-strokes. This interruption of oxygen-rich blood flow causes the affected brain cells to become damaged or die off.
Who is at risk for developing vascular dementia?
Everyone is at risk for developing vascular dementia, but individuals who are obese, have type 2 diabetes, have heart or vascular issues or smoke have a much higher risk. That is because these conditions significantly increase one’s risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.
What are the signs of vascular dementia?
Because symptoms occur based on where the cell death occurs, vascular dementia can vary slightly from person to person. Oftentimes, vascular dementia presents as changes in thinking skills, which can either be sudden or gradual. A large stroke will often cause the most significant and sudden change, while mini-strokes will cause minor changes that increase over time. Memory loss can be a sign of vascular dementia in the beginning, but not always. The severity of the signs and symptoms can vary greatly depending on where the blood vessel damage occurred and how severe it was. Other symptoms may include:
- Disorientation
- Difficulty speaking or understanding the spoken word
- Confusion
- Difficulty walking and poor balance
- Numbness or paralysis on one side of the face or body
- Other physical stroke symptoms
- Impaired planning and judgment
- Inability to pay attention
- Declining function in social situations
- Uncontrolled laughing and crying
What causes vascular dementia?
Unlike Alzheimer’s disease, we actually can pinpoint the cause of vascular dementia – damage to the blood vessels. That means that any condition that could damage blood vessels could potentially cause vascular dementia. Besides the conditions listed previously, increased age also puts people at risk for developing this form of dementia.
How is vascular dementia treated?
There is currently no cure for dementia, which includes vascular dementia. However, clinical studies have shown that the different drugs that have been approved to treat Alzheimer’s disease may also help people with vascular dementia to halt or slow the progression of the disease. However, the biggest way that vascular dementia is treated is by working to treat the underlying issue that caused the stroke or mini-strokes. For example, if it’s deduced that vascular dementia is a symptom of hypertension, an individual will need to monitor and control their blood pressure to prevent another stroke from occurring. It’s possible that treating the risk factors that caused the brain damage can help postpone or prevent any further decline from happening.
How can I reduce my risk of vascular dementia?
There are many lifestyle changes you can make that can help you reduce the risk of developing vascular dementia. (They’re also lifestyle changes that can significantly decrease your risk of other diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes). Here are some strategies to adopt if you aren’t already doing them:
- If you’re a smoker, quit smoking (and if you don’t currently smoke, don’t start.)
- Monitor your blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure, and make sure that they stay within recommended limits. If these are issues you currently have, be sure to visit your doctor regularly and follow their recommendations to keep you healthy.
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins like chicken or fish, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
- Exercise regularly. The CDC recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week, which translates to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Limit or reduce your alcohol consumption (generally suggested as one drink a day for women and two drinks per day for men).
For more information about vascular dementia, visit the Mayo Clinic or the Alzheimer’s Association®.
Expert, Life-Enriching Memory Care
Bridges® by EPOCH at Norwalk provides memory care assisted living that is comfortable, positive, safe and engaging. Exclusively dedicated to caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, our community promotes a wellness-focused lifestyle that emphasizes dignity and individual preferences. Our memory care professionals receive specialized, ongoing training designed to help residents maximize their independence in a secure, calm environment – making a truly positive impact on the lives of our residents.
Inspiring Programs for All Stages
Bridges® by EPOCH at Norwalk’s services are designed to recognize and adapt to the unique challenges and individuality of each resident while ensuring comfort and safety. We believe in a full-service approach to care and provide personalized attention and programming for residents in every stage of memory loss.
Purposeful Community Design
Within a beautiful residential design, Bridges® by EPOCH at Norwalk provides everything residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia need to enjoy comfort, familiarity and security. Soft colors, directional cues and aromatherapy create a soothing and secure environment where residents feel at home.
Bridges® by EPOCH is New England’s largest stand-alone memory care assisted living provider.