Vascular dementia

Most people have heard of ‘dementia’ or know someone who has it. ‘Dementia’ is an umbrella term for lots of neurological conditions that have similar symptoms, including a decline in cognitive abilities such as memory and thought process. This is caused by damage occurring within the brain, which may have been happening for many years before diagnosis. Around 850,000 people in the UK have some form of dementia.

Vascular dementia is one of many types of dementia and is the second most common type in the UK, affecting around 150,000 people. Many people live well with vascular dementia and can have a good quality of life, living independently. There is no cure, but there are ways to slow down the progression of the disease.

Older people, aged 65 or over, are more likely to get vascular dementia due to changes in the brain that happen over time but some people do experience it at an earlier age.

To find out more about vascular dementia, please visit the NHS website.

Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood supply to the brain. In the human body, nerve cells need oxygen in order to function. If they do not get enough oxygen, they begin to die. Blood carries oxygen around the body and to and from the brain. If the blood supply to the brain is disrupted in some way, brain cells begin to die. This causes damage within the brain that cannot be reversed.

Blood supply to the brain can be affected if the blood vessels that carry the blood are damaged inside, or become blocked, which results in a stroke occurring.

If a person survives a stroke, one of the outcomes may be post-stroke dementia, known as single-infarct dementia. This usually causes damage to one main area of the brain. Vascular dementia symptoms are determined by where in the brain this damage occurs.

Sometimes, a person may have lots of mini-strokes, which leads to multi-infarct dementia, which causes smaller amounts of damage but all over the brain.

Vascular dementia may also be caused by small vessel disease, where the blood vessels of the brain become narrower, resulting in less oxygen getting to brain cells, and very gradual damage that leads to symptoms developing slowly.

Some lifestyle factors and health conditions are thought to be what causes vascular dementia or increases your risk of experiencing it. The following cause damage to blood vessels and increase the risk of having a stroke:

Quitting smoking, eating more healthily, losing weight, exercising regularly and managing any other health conditions can all reduce your risk of developing vascular dementia, and also slow down the progression of the disease if you have already been given a diagnosis of vascular dementia.

Here are the types of vascular dementia:

For more information about the types of vascular dementia, visit the Alzheimer’s Society website.

People with a vascular dementia diagnosis may experience one or a couple of these symptoms, or all of them. Each person is different, and they will experience symptoms to varying degrees. Some symptoms may have a minor effect on daily life, whereas others may impact a person’s abilities more profoundly.

Vascular dementia is likely to get progressively worse over time and some people find that they need help with mobility and daily tasks such as personal care, eating and drinking, etc. Read our section on products for vascular dementia to find out more about using equipment to help with daily living tasks.

If you are concerned you may have symptoms of dementia, it is important to visit your GP. Some people fear receiving a dementia diagnosis, but it is beneficial to find out if you have the condition or not, so that you can get the right vascular dementia treatment and support. Some people are able to slow the progression of vascular dementia down by changing their lifestyle, so if you know you have it, you will be advised accordingly.

If you visit your GP and they suspect you may have dementia, you will likely be referred to a specialist who will conduct tests and perhaps take images of your brain to find out if you do have dementia.

Having vascular dementia may create challenges in day to day life. Some people will experience difficulties with:

The Alzheimer’s Society provides a huge amount of advice and information about all aspects of living with vascular dementia.

Many people with vascular dementia will need support with some daily tasks. If you are one of them, or if one of your loved ones are finding things difficult, you may be eligible for an Occupational Therapy assessment via your local social services department – contact your local council for advice. An Occupational Therapist looks at the activities a person is having difficulty with, and tries to find ways that a task can be adapted to make it easier. Sometimes, they may be able to recommend daily living aids – these are products designed to help with mobility and everyday tasks.

If you are a carer for someone with vascular dementia, it is important to realise that you matter too, and to get support and help from a variety of sources. The NHS Dementia guide provides advice about looking after someone with dementia, including information about how to care for them and also to care for yourself. You may also like to contact Carer’s Trust for information and advice about being a carer, including benefits you may be entitled do.

It may help to understand what it is like living with vascular dementia, or living with someone who has the condition, by reading or listening to other people’s stories. Read about Dianne, Audrey and Alan, Carol and Peter and Peter.

Vascular dementia is not curable and there are no treatments that can reverse the damage done to the brain. Medications used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia do not work for vascular dementia (although if a person has multiple types of dementia, they may be given these drugs).

Vascular dementia treatments therefore aim to control other aspects of health or other conditions that may be what causes vascular dementia in a person. For example, medication can help reduce the risk of strokes, lower blood pressure, treat high cholesterol and keep diabetes under control.

Other treatments for vascular dementia include:

There are many complementary therapies as well which can help relieve vascular dementia symptoms such as stress, agitation, low mood, and increase feelings of relaxation and wellbeing. For example:

Vascular dementia treatment may also take the form of person-centred activities designed to increase a person’s wellbeing, opportunity for socialising and being creative and staying active, for example, music therapy and reminiscence therapy.

For more information on treatment for vascular dementia, visit the NHS website.

At Healthcare Pro, we are experts in equipment that helps support people to live independently or with the help of a carer, including vascular dementia products. These daily living aids and assistive technology aids can help a person in various aspects of daily life, and we give some examples below.

If you would like to speak to one of our Occupational Therapists to find if there are any daily living aids that may help you or someone you care for, please email them productadvice@healthcarepro.co.uk or telephone 0345 121 8111.

Eating a healthy diet is essential to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle, which in turn will help overall health and wellbeing.

Some people with dementia have difficulty eating and drinking, due to changes in appetite and attitude to food, or physical problems that make consuming food and drink difficult. Alzheimer’s Society provides a factsheet about eating and drinking with dementia including tips for carers.

Some people take vascular dementia supplements e.g. Omega-3 (found in oily fish), B vitamins and folic acid, but there is little proof that these actually have an impact on the progression of the condition or its symptoms.

Taking regular exercise that gets the heart pumping is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of developing dementia as it keeps the heart healthy and reduces the risk of stroke, diabetes and heart disease – all of which can be risk factors for vascular dementia. Taking exercise also helps stimulate the brain and makes you feel good, which is important for people with long-term health conditions, who may be at risk of mental health problems.

People with vascular dementia are advised to be as active as possible, and your GP or a physiotherapist may be able to advise if you are unsure how to start or have concerns about doing so. For more information and advice, read the Alzheimer’s Society factsheet.

Many people with vascular dementia are able to work and those that do are advised to inform their employer of their health condition.

The Alzheimer’s Society provides a leaflet on employment and dementia which you may find useful, which covers legal aspects of telling your employer and your rights at work.

Carers UK Forum – an online space to share information and get support if you are caring for someone with dementia

Talking Point – the forum provided by Alzheimer’s Society, where you can talk openly about dementia

Alzheimer’s Society – the leading UK charity for Alzheimer’s and other dementia conditions, including a wealth of information about all aspects of life with dementia, as well as a helpline and local support networks, and an online community

Alzheimer’s Research UK – a charity funding research into all types of dementia, with a website featuring information, statistics, advice for children who have family affected by dementia, and a helpline

Brace – a charity conducting research into dementia, providing information on new research findings

Dementia UK – a charity providing information about dementia as well as specialist dementia nurses called ‘Admiral nurses’ and a dementia helpline

NHS – source of official medical advice in the UK, featuring information about all dementia conditions, and related conditions, as well as practical living advice for carers and patients

Young Dementia UK – a charity supporting people who develop dementia at a younger-than-average age, providing information about lots of dementia conditions, regional support groups and an online community

Atrial fibrillation

– an irregular heart beat which can lead to heart conditions such as stroke or heart failure

Blood pressure

– the strength of the movement of blood through blood vessels, which can be measured, and if it is too high means your heart and blood vessels are under too much strain

Cognitive

– related to the processes of the brain i.e. learning and understanding

Nerve cells

– the essential matter in the body that carry electrical signals to and from the brain, enabling the body to function

Neurological

– related to the brain and spinal cord

Oxygen

– gas that is present naturally in the environment, which we breathe in, and which is essential to make our cells and organs work

Vascular

– related to the vessels in the body i.e. blood vessels