Stroke, Vascular Disease, and Dementia

When people think of dementia, they usually think of Alzheimer's disease. However, dementia is a very broad category of brain disease which has a myriad of potential causes, one of which is stroke. Stroke-induced dementia is a complicated entity that is currently the subject of intense investigation.

Early studies had shown that people who suffer multiple strokes could develop a kind of brain dysfunction so severe that could lead to symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer's dementia. But as our understanding of stroke has continued to evolve we are now learning that the same processes that work together to cause a stroke (i.e., vascular disease), can also work together to cause cognitive impairment and dementia even in the absence of clear strokes.

To put this in a different way, stroke and dementia can share the same risk factors!

Recommended reading:
Stroke and Dementia
What are the risk factors for stroke?
Who is at risk of stroke?
Atherosclerosis, a potent risk factor for stroke