Stroke-Related Dementia (cont.)
Kannayiram Alagiakrishnan, MD
Nicholas Y Lorenzo, MD
Mary L Windle, PharmD
Helmi L Lutsep, MD
IN THIS ARTICLE
Stroke-Related Dementia Causes
Vascular dementia is not a single disease but a group of conditions relating to different vascular problems. What all the conditions have in common is that a critical part of the brain does not receive enough oxygen. The vascular damage underlying stroke-related dementia occurs in several different patterns.
The major cause of the vascular lesions underlying stroke-related dementia is untreated high blood pressure (hypertension). Diabetes, atherosclerosis (“hardening of the arteries”), heart disease, high cholesterol, peripheral vascular disease, and smoking are other risk factors. Other causes include uncommon vascular diseases.
Vascular dementia may occur with Alzheimer's Disease. ApoE4 is a protein whose main role is to help transport cholesterol in the blood. A high level of this protein in the blood poses a significant risk factor for Alzheimer dementia and has been linked to vascular dementia.
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