brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Vascular Dementia
Causes of Vascular Dementia
A series of Overview of Stroke may result in vascular dementia. These strokes are more common among men and usually begin after age 70. Risk factorsfor vascular dementia include the following: Having High Blood Pressure None Having Diabetes Mellitus (DM) None Having Atherosclerosis None Having Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter , a type of irregular heart rhythm Having Dyslipidemia (lipids), including cholesterol Smoking and Other Tobacco Use (currently or in the past) Having had a Overview of Stroke None High blood pressure, diabetes, and atherosclerosis damage blood vessels in the brain. Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of strokes due to blood clots from the heart. Disorders that cause Excessive Clotting also increase the risk of strokes. Unlike other types of dementia, vascular dementia can sometimes be prevented by correcting or eliminating the When an artery that carries blood to the brain becomes clogged or blocked, an ischemic stroke can occur. Arteries may be blocked by fatty deposits (atheromas, or plaques) due to atherosclerosis. Arteries in the neck, particularly the internal carotid arteries, are a common site for atheromas. Arteries may also be blocked by a blood clot (thrombus). Blood clots may form on an atheroma in an artery. Clots may also form in the heart of people with a heart disorder. Part of a clot may break off and travel through the bloodstream (becoming an embolus). It may then block an artery that supplies blood to the brain, such as one of the cerebral arteries. Strokes can destroy brain tissue by blocking the blood supply to parts of the brain. An area of brain tissue that is destroyed is called an infarct. Dementia may result from a few large strokes or, more commonly, many small ones. Some of these strokes seem minor or may not even be noticed. However, people may continue to have small strokes, and after enough brain tissue is destroyed, dementia can develop. Thus, vascular dementia may develop before strokes cause other severe symptoms or sometimes even any noticeable symptoms. 