Vascular dementia is one of several types of dementia. Vascular dementia is unique in that it happens when the brain does not receive enough oxygen due to a lack of blood flow. This happens when a person suffers a stroke or have blocked arteries or veins due to a heart condition. Unfortunately, as with other types of dementia, there is no cure for vascular dementia, so treatment is focused on delaying the symptoms for as long as possible.
Vascular dementia can be tough to diagnose because it is often a slowly progressing disease. Blockages often occur slowly over time, which means that blood flow is slowly getting reduced to the brain. Therefore, symptoms develop gradually.
One of the first things a doctor will recommend is making lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes are effective if vascular dementia is found early enough and will include eating a healthy diet, exercising, and engaging in activities that stimulate the brain.
Medications are commonly used to treat vascular dementia. However, because there is no medication that can cure the actual disease, the goal is to treat underlying conditions that may be causing vascular dementia.
If you have vascular dementia due to inadequate blood flow to the brain, you will also have high blood pressure. High blood pressure can compound the effects of vascular dementia and lead to other health problems, such as heart disease. Beta-blockers, clonidine, and calcium channel blockers are the drugs of choice to reduce blood pressure.
Along with high blood pressure, you will also have high cholesterol if you have vascular dementia. To treat this, your doctor will prescribe statins, such as atorvastatin or lovastatin.
Because vascular dementia is caused by inadequate blood flow, your doctor will try to remedy this by prescribing medications that increase blood flow. In most cases, they will prescribe blood thinners or anticoagulants, such as aspirin, warfarin, or apixaban. These medications help prevent blood clots and promote blood flow to the brain.
Studies are showing that people with Type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of developing vascular dementia. Therefore, your doctor may prescribe SGLT2 to treat your diabetes, which will also help improve symptoms of vascular dementia.
Cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil and rivastigmine, can help improve brain function if you have vascular dementia. These cholinesterase inhibitors help improve the communication of nerve cells in the brain by not allowing acetylcholine to break down.
In addition to using medications to improve blood flow to the brain, your doctor may also recommend surgical operations. These operations, which include stenting or angioplasty, remove blockages that are preventing blood from flowing to the brain. In so doing, symptoms of vascular dementia are reduced.
Even if medications and surgery are successful in helping ease the symptoms of vascular dementia, there is no way to permanently hold off the disease. Therefore, you will need various forms of therapy, including physical, speech, and occupational therapy.
These therapies can help improve brain function, re-learn everyday tasks, and maintain your independence for as long as possible. Therapy will also slow down the effects that vascular dementia has on your ability to problem-solve and move around on your own.
While there is no cure for vascular dementia, and you cannot prevent the symptoms permanently, early diagnosis and treatment can help you live a normal life for as long as possible. Eventually, however, vascular dementia will cause memory loss, personality changes, and organ failure. With proper treatment, you can prevent this for as long as possible and maximize your time with friends and family.