Vascular Dementia and Stroke

A common complication resulting from stroke is loss of cognitive function, or intellectual abilities, often called vascular dementia.

What is Vascular Dementia?

Vascular dementia (VaD) is a decline in intellectual abilities as a result of a stroke. It occurs when brain tissue is damaged because of reduced blood flow to the brain, most commonly by a stroke or series of strokes. The brain cells, in effect, have difficulty working together to process information. This can lead to memory loss, confusion, and decreased attention span, in addition to problems with activities of daily living.

It is estimated that nearly a fifth of people who suffer a stroke will develop problems involving their mental abilities.
Approximately 10 to 20 percent of Americans over age 65 experiencing dementia have VaD, making it second only to Alzheimer's disease as a leading cause of dementia.

The occurrence of VaD increases with age, and the number of Americans age 65 and older is expected to increase to nearly 70 million by 2030.

Some of the risk factors for VaD are the same as for stroke, including high blood pressure, history of previous stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol levels.