Causes of Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia is typically caused by two things. The first thing is a complete blockage of blood vessels to the brain or inside the brain. A complete blockage usually causes a stroke and these strokes, even if they are mild, can compound and cause issues over time. Vascular dementia can also be caused by a narrowing of blood vessels to the brain or inside the brain. This narrowing can cause small strokes and over time lead to a decrease in brain function.

Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia, secondary only to Alzheimer’s. Overall, vascular dementia is not a singular disease as it is related to numerous conditions that comprise its ability to cause a decrease in cognitive dysfunction due to loss of blood flow to the brain. There are many risk factors associated with vascular dementia including diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and smoking. There have been studies that have shown that vascular dementia can be attributed to high blood pressure in nearly 50 percent of all cases.