The main cause of vascular dementia is strokes (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Problems of memory, confusion, disorientation and mood swings They can make you think that a person has Alzheimer’s. However, there is another pathology with similar symptoms, but with differences that are key: vascular dementia.
According to Harvard Medical School, dementia is a disease that affects the memory, thinking and reasoning. Vascular dementia, due to stroke, alone or in combination with Alzheimer’s, is one of the most common forms of dementia.
The doctor Alejandro Anderssonneurologist, medical director of the Buenos Aires Neurology Institute (INBA), explained to Infobae that vascular dementia is a type of dementia caused by problems in the blood supply to the brainwhich causes the brain cell death. “It is progressive cognitive impairment of vascular dementia results from a decreased blood flow to the braincausing damage to nerve cells,” he explained.
This damage is what causes problems with thinking, memory, and other cognitive functions, which are signs key to dementia.
Dementia is the result of various diseases and injuries that affect the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and can represent between 60% and 70% of cases (Illustrative image Infobae)
Dr. Andersson explained: “Dementia is the big umbrella and it means cognitive impairment. Under that big umbrella are the causes of dementia. The main reason for dementia is a degenerative disease, which is the disease of Alzheimer. But it is also possible to suffer from dementia due to many strokes in the brainthat is, the multi-infarct dementia. Also due to other degenerative diseases such as Lewy diseasefor one meningitis due to tuberculosis or autoimmune encephalitis. What is interesting about multi-infarct dementia is that if the vascular risk factors in general are corrected, it is possible to avoid it in practically all cases.”
According to the World Health Organizationat the moment, more than 55 million people have dementia all over the world. Every year, there are almost ten million new cases. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and can represent between 60% and 70% of cases.
Dr. Andersson stated that in Argentinadementia is an increasingly relevant public health problem, especially in a population that is aging rapidly. According to the expert, each year, around 77,000 new cases of dementia in the countryof which 46,000 are from Alzheimer’s and 15,000 of vascular dementia.
Vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease share some similar symptoms, such as memory loss and confusion. However, there are key differences in the way these symptoms appear (Illustrative Image Infobae)
“It is estimated that around 7% of those over 65 years of age suffer from some type of dementiawhich is equivalent to about 500,000 people. Of these cases, approximately 60% corresponds to Alzheimer’s diseaseaffecting some 300,000 Argentines. The Vascular dementia, for its part, represents 20% of caseswith nearly 100,000 affected. These figures reflect a trend similar to that observed worldwide and underline the importance of implementing prevention, early detection and appropriate management strategies to face the growing challenge that dementia represents in our society,” highlighted the doctor.
“The main causes include strokes (CVA), both large and microinfarcts, which interrupt blood flow and cause brain damage; atherosclerosiswhich hardens and narrows the arteries; uncontrolled arterial hypertension; diabeteswhich increases the risk of vascular problems; and heart conditions such as arrhythmias or heart failure”explained Dr. Andersson.
Long-term high blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the brain due to high-pressure pumping of blood, causing small vessels to become occluded. That is why it is important to check the pressure regularly
Harvard Medical School explained that the different parts of the brain They control different functions, so the symptoms of vascular dementia can vary depending on which part of the brain is affected.
“In some cases, symptoms may appear suddenly, such as after a cerebrovascular accident important, while in other cases they may develop more slowly over time due to the accumulation of small strokes“said the entity.
For his part, Dr. Andersson commented that the symptoms of vascular dementia may include “problems with memoryespecially in the advanced stages, difficulties in planning and organizationsuch as decision making and problem solving. Additionally, changes in personality and behavior may occur, including irritability, depression or apathy. Also common are motor difficultieswhich manifest with problems with gait, coordination and balance, and confusion and disorientation, particularly after a stroke.”
High cholesterol levels can cause plaque buildup in the arteries, which increases the risk of large and small strokes (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Common symptoms of vascular dementia, which are also present in other dementias such as Alzheimer’s, are, according to Harvard Medical School:
- memory problems, such as difficulty remembering recent events or names
- Difficulty concentrating
- Slow thinking
- Confusion or feeling disorientedespecially in unfamiliar situations
- Mood swings such as depression, anxiety
More advanced symptoms of vascular dementia (and other causes of dementia) may include:
- Aphasia: difficulty speaking, understanding words, reading or writing
- Apraxia: difficulty performing movements or tasks
- Difficulty maintaining balancewhich causes frequent falls
- Loss of bladder control
The risk of vascular dementia increases with age, especially after age 65 (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Dr. Andersson explained that the diagnosis It is done based on the clinical history, through medical questioning, and anamnesis. “Then you have to make a neurological evaluationespecially neurocognitive, which is very important to measure short and long-term memory, visual, verbal, auditory, etc. Then you have to do images, tomography or much better, MRI to see how the brain is, what injuries it has, if it has heart attacks, if it doesn’t have heart attacks. because basically It is necessary to distinguish whether it is Alzheimer’s dementia or a degenerative disease or another cause, or if it is a vascular dementia that has to do with having many cerebral infarctions or vascular sequelae,” explained the neurologist.
As for the treatmentis based on control risk factors. “What caused the arteries to ‘wear out’? It could be hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol. They can then be prescribed medicinesanticoagulants, antiplatelets or antiplatelets, drugs to prevent new heart attacks from occurring in the patient. There are also medications that stimulate memory circuits and include exercises, rehabilitation or cognitive stimulation,” concluded Dr. Andersson.
Low levels of physical activity and obesity are also known risk factors for stroke and vascular dementia. That is why it is so important to carry out physical activity (Illustrative image Infobae)
Harvard Medical School recommended:
- Control chronic diseases: Maintain blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels within an appropriate range through a combination of healthy diet, regular exercise and medication.
- Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption.
- Exercise regularly: Aerobic activity improves blood flow to the brain and is associated with a lower risk of all causes of dementia. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.
- Follow a healthy diet: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can help keep blood vessels healthy. The DASH diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) and the Mediterranean diet are recommended as neuroprotective. Both make up the Mind diet.
- Put stress under control.
