Vascular dementia Health Article

Treatments

The treatments for vascular dementia focus on attempts to slow or halt the progression of the disorder and alleviate some of the symptoms. The disorder cannot be cured or reversed. The most common way to treat vascular dementia is to try to prevent further strokes. Treatments include diet and drug treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure), aspirin therapy, smoking cessation, avoidance of heavy alcohol use, and stress reduction. Some drugs that are used to treat mild AD are being studied for their effectiveness in treating vascular dementia.

Prognosis

Vascular dementia is a disorder that cannot be reversed. The progression of the disorder can, however, be slowed. Using drugs, along with lifestyle changes to prevent more strokes from occurring, can be effective at slowing the progression of vascular dementia.

Prevention

Vascular dementia is generally associated with a series of strokes causing increasing mental impairment. Measures generally recommended by physicians may prevent strokes and may be effective in helping to prevent vascular dementia. These measures include such things as quitting smoking, decreasing cholesterol levels, treating hypertension by reducing sodium (salt) intake, decreasing alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, and other lifestyle changes. One study illustrated that consuming a small amount of red wine regularly reduces the risk of all forms of dementia.

See also Alzheimer's disease

BOOKS

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed., text revised. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000.

Sadock, Benjamin J. and Virginia A. Sadock, eds. Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. 7th ed. Vol. 2. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2000.

PERIODICALS

Anonymous. "New Alzheimer's Drug is First Therapy to Show Efficacy in Vascular Dementia." Formulary 36 no. 8 (August 2001): 596.

Buchalter, Eric N., Melinda S. Lantz. "Treatment of Impulsivity and Aggression in a Patient with Vascular Dementia." Geriatrics 56 no. 2 (February 2001): 53.

Gross, Joel S., Joshua R. Shua-Haim. "Multi-infaract Dementia: a Common Form of Dementia Associated with Cerebrovascular Disease." Geriatrics 52 no. 5 (May 1997): 95.

Jagust, William. "Untangling Vascular Dementia." The Lancet 358, no. 9299 (December 22 2001): 2097.

Larson, Eric B. "Illness Causing Dementia in the Very Elderly." The New England Journal of Medicine 328, no. 3 (January 21 1993): 203-2055.

ORGANIZATIONS

National Institute on Aging. Building 31, Room 5C27 31 Center Drive, MSC 2292 Bethesda, MD 20892. Telephone: (301) 496-1752. Web site: <www.nia.nih.gov>.

Tish Davidson, A.M.