According to reports, vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia (after Alzheimer’s disease) that affects approximately 150,000 people in the UK.
What is Vascular Dementia? 
In vascular dementia, there happens to be a decline in thinking skills caused by the blockage or the reduction of blood supply to the brain, depriving the brain cells from oxygen and nutrients. Inadequate blood flow can damage and eventually kill the brain cells.
The thinking problems brought by this disease condition may begin as mild changes that worsens gradually as a result of multiple minor strokes or other conditions that affect smaller blood vessels, leading to cumulative damage.
You can develop vascular dementia after a stroke blocks an artery in your brain. Whether a stroke affects your thinking and reasoning depends on your stroke’s severity and location.
Factors that increase your risk from developing vascular dementis includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. Controlling these factors can help lower your chances of developing vascular dementia.
- Quit smoking
- Keep your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar within recommended limits
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet
- Exercise
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Limit alcohol consumption
Although vascular dementia is a serious condition, catching it early and preventing further damage are the best medicine. People with vascular dementia can work with their doctors and families to detect and manage the condition.
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