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A guide to vascular dementia in the elderly


Vascular dementia is a medical term that is given to a psychological condition commonly observed in the elderly. This condition refers to the increment in the loss of memory and other cognitive functions caused by vascular injury or disease within the brain. The condition is the second leading cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease in people over 65 and affects more men than women.

Vascular dementia


Causes of vascular dementia

Strokes cause an interruption in the blood risk of the area of ​​the brain in which it occurs so that if it is prolonged more than it should, the lack of oxygen supply can occasionally kill the affected brain cells.

Brain microinfarcts affect small areas, but the lesions end up having a summative effect and the symptoms of vascular dementia end up appearing to a lesser degree. It should be noted, therefore, that heart attacks that do produce symptoms (paralysis, partial, loss of sensation, speech difficulties, etc.) can also contribute to the birth of vascular dementia.

As with all cardiovascular diseases, there are a number of risk factors that are predisposed to vascular dementia: diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, arteriosclerosis, etc.

Vascular dementia symptoms

The symptoms of vascular dementia appear gradually as brain microinfarctions occur:
  • Difficulty in remembering names of people and familiar objects.
  • Problems in carrying out tasks that used to be simple.
  • Deterioration of the sense of orientation leading to getting lost on habitual routes. 
  •  Misplacing things.
  • Losing interest in things that used to excite you.
  • Behavioral disturbances.
  • Loss of social skills.
As vascular dementia progresses, these symptoms not only become more evident but also worsen and interfere with the patient's ability to care for himself:

  • Forgetting things that just happened (immediate memory).
  • Altered sleep patterns
  • ·         Trouble doing basic tasks (eating, washing, etc.)
  • ·         Delusions and sensitive hallucinations.
  • ·         Depression.
  • ·         Aggressiveness.
  • ·         Not knowing how to recognize danger.
  • Language problems (confusing sentences, incorrect pronunciation, etc.)
Vascular dementia treatment
There is no possible treatment for vascular dementia since the brain lesions caused by microinfarcts are irreversible. However, it is possible to prevent its aggravation by avoiding new strokes by correcting the aforementioned risk factors, be it with dietary measures, specific medications, quitting tobacco and practicing exercise regularly.


Likewise, drugs can be used to control some symptoms, such as behavioral disorders, aggressiveness, depressive episodes, agitation, sleep disturbances, etc. in the elderly. You can find more information about vascular dementia in elderly by visiting the website www.elderlylovedones.com online.


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