Christopher Ravn
Key Takeaways
1. Vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease both affect millions of people, and there are some similarities and differences between the two diseases.
2. Vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease share similarities in that they both fall under the category of dementia.
3. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Around 60–80% of dementia patients suffer from Alzheimer’s. Vascular dementia, which affects 1 in 10 dementia patients, is followed by Alzheimer's.
Table of Contents
1. Vascular Dementia Vs. Alzheimer's
2. What Is The Difference Between Dementia And Vascular Dementia?
3. Is Vascular Dementia Worse Than Alzheimer's?
4. Does Vascular Dementia Progress Faster Than Alzheimer's?
5. What’s The Life Expectancy With Vascular Dementia Vs. Alzheimer’s?
6. Can A Person Have Both Alzheimer's And Vascular Dementia?
7. What Is The Connection Between Vascular Issues And Alzheimer's Disease?
8. Is Alzheimer's More Common Than Vascular Dementia?
9. Frequently Asked Questions About Vascular Dementia Vs Alzheimer's
Vascular Dementia Vs. Alzheimer's
Vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease both affect millions of people, and there are certain similarities and differences between the two diseases.
Vascular Dementia happens when the brain is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, which is caused by cerebrovascular diseases. This could be due to incidences such as stroke that limit blood flow to the brain. The lack of flow to the brain may also be caused by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and family history. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s Disease is caused by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, which affects around 60–80% of dementia patients. This could be caused by genetics, family history, lifestyle, and age factors.
As for its symptoms, vascular dementia includes mood changes, issues with communication or language, being unable to learn or follow instructions, and difficulty with performing tasks. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease are confusion, mood changes, memory loss, issues with communication, and personality changes.
It is important for treatment and early diagnosis of both diseases as it may be able to improve cognition, reduce further brain issues, provide support to caregivers and loved ones, thus enhancing overall well-being. Treatment may assist in preventing further brain damage or stroke, managing health conditions, improving cognition, and promoting lifestyle changes.
What Is Vascular Dementia?
When oxygen supply and blood flow to the brain are reduced, the blood vessels start to damage, which leads to a type of dementia known as Vascular Dementia. There are a few reasons that may cause this damage, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, strokes, and atherosclerosis which is a buildup of plaque in the arteries. Moreover, cholesterol, weight problems, smoking, irregular heartbeat, age, and a family history of the disease may contribute to the impact on a person’s memory and thinking capacity.
The symptoms of vascular dementia may depend on the extent or part of the brain that is affected. This could range from issues with solving problems to memory loss, unable to learn new information, mood swings, coordination issues, communicating, maintaining balance, eyesight issues, and hearing issues.
The disease progresses over time and each stage may last around two years. Hence, it is important to ensure that symptoms and risk factors are managed and controlled. However, to date, there is no cure for vascular dementia but there are ways to reduce its risk. Thus, it is important to ensure healthy blood pressure by staying away from smoking, maintaining blood pressure, having a healthy diet, regular exercise and ensuring regular checkups to determine the progress of the disease.
What Is Alzheimer’s?
- People who are 65 years of age and older are said to be at risk of Alzheimer’s
- The discovery of the APOE ε4 gene is said to be another factor that increases the risk of the disease.
- Both those who are susceptible to developing the disease and those whose parents or siblings have it.
- Depression may heighten the risk of Alzheimer’s in a person.
- Traumatic brain injury may increase the risk of the disease.
- Long periods of sleep issues may increase this risk.
- High blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.
- Those who consume ultra-processed foods, saturated fat, sugar, and are sedentary may increase their chances of developing Alzheimer’s.
- Loneliness and social isolation may enhance the risk of the disease.
- Mild cognitive impairment: The individual starts to show changes in personality or behavior, memory, and language issues.
- Moderate stage: This is when patients demonstrate difficulties with their daily activities, are severely confused and disoriented, may suffer from Alzheimer’s hallucinations, and have more pronounced memory loss.
- Severe stage: Memory loss is significant, unable to communicate or solve problems and has a loss of independence.
What Is The Difference Between Dementia And Vascular Dementia?
Dementia is a generic term used for cognitive decline and there are many types of dementia under this umbrella. Dementia normally refers to when a patient’s memory, thinking, function, and behaviors are affected. However, Vascular Dementia is when the brain loses nutrients and oxygen due to cerebrovascular disease. The symptoms of dementia are when patients have issues with solving problems, communication and memory issues and impairment in judgement. There may be an overlap between dementia and vascular dementia but it generally affects thinking speed and problem solving.
The progression of dementia could be either that it progresses rapidly or gradually. This is dependent on the patient’s underlying symptoms. As for Alzheimer’s, it may develop gradually and cause issues with everyday living. Patients suffer from memory issues, which is one of the primary symptoms of dementia. VD patients may suffer from problems with planning, problem-solving, and communicating their thoughts.
Dementia patients have issues with their thinking, attention span, language, and spatial awareness. As for VD patients, they may have issues with their thinking speed, problem-solving, and decision-making. Memory issues are hardly a factor for VD patients.
As for daily living, dementia patients struggle and would require assistance to move around, communicate and receive basic care. However, for vascular dementia patients, it becomes very difficult for them to solve problems, plan, and communicate. For patient care requirements, one will need to determine the stage the patient is at, such as early, middle, or severe. Vascular Dementia patients would require similar treatment as dementia patients, but it is targeted to assist with problem-solving and communication issues.
What Are The Similar Symptoms Of Vascular Dementia And Alzheimer's?
- Unable to remember new information, events, or names
- Issues with keeping up with conversations or understanding spoken or written language
- Struggle to make decisions, plan and solve problems.
- Changes in mood, such as anxiety, agitation and depression
- Becomes passive or suspicious
- Disoriented and has issues with time, space, and spatial awareness.
The difference between these diseases is that Vascular Dementia may take place slowly or suddenly and is more noticeable in the brain. This may cause issues with speaking, writing, and understanding, as well as daily activities such as dressing, spatial awareness, and navigation.
Alzheimer’s may be gradual or progress rapidly over time. This may cause issues such as learning or memorizing new information or names, being unable to keep up with conversations or understand spoken languages, having issues moving around, processing information visually, and having issues with spatial awareness.
Both diseases impact patient’s lives by affecting their daily activities, relationships, and state of independence. It also causes the patient to socially pull away from activities and relationships, go through anxiety and depression, and feel a sense of loss of independence. Their caregivers may also go through physical, financial, and emotional strains due to taking care of their loved ones.
Is Vascular Dementia Worse Than Alzheimer's?
Vascular Dementia is worse than Alzheimer’s because it aggressively affects the patient’s functionality and life expectancy. Both of these diseases may impact the patient and caregiver. However, Vascular Dementia patients may need more intensive caregiving due to its rapid progression.
The long-term prognosis is that VD shortens lifespan rapidly and those who have the disease may die once compounded with other causes. Alzheimer’s, though known to shorten life expectancy, will take a few years to notice its severity in decline.
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Does Vascular Dementia Progress Faster Than Alzheimer's?
Each type of dementia progresses differently and its speed is dependent on its type. Vascular Dementia is said to progress faster compared to Alzheimer’s and once diagnosed, patients tentatively live for around five years. Their deaths are normally due to a heart attack or stroke. Alzheimer’s Disease progresses slower compared to Vasular Dementia and upon diagnosis, patients live for around 8 to 10 years.
Factors that influence the patients’ progression rate depend on the type of dementia, their age, lifestyle choices, including physical exercise, brain exercises for seniors, diet, social engagement, and any comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes.
- A plan is crafted for the patients to focus on their needs and goals.
- Ensure that emotional support is provided.
- Conditions are monitored and treatment is adjusted accordingly
- Provide changes in their lifestyle that may slow down the progression of the disease.
What’s The Life Expectancy With Vascular Dementia Vs. Alzheimer’s?
There is no standard timeframe for patients who are diagnosed with Vascular Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. This is because a few variables need to be taken into consideration, such as age, stage of the disease and the patient’s overall health.
For Vascular Dementia, the average life expectancy is around 5-7 years after diagnosis. However, it has been said that some patients live longer than that, reaching up to 10 years. However, this is dependent on various factors, such as their medical condition, such as heart disease or stroke and whether the treatment is working for the patient.
As for Alzheimer’s Disease, the life expectancy is around 8–10 years after diagnosis but there have been some cases where patients have lived up to 20 years. It could be due to an early diagnosis at a younger age and underlying conditions being identified, such as hypertension and diabetes, and thus appropriate treatment being administered.
These diseases affect the quality of life, such as one’s ability to carry out daily chores, keep up with relationships and activities that they once enjoyed. Therefore, it is important to ensure that early treatment and intervention are carried out to slow the progression of these diseases. Early intervention and treatment, such as lifestyle changes and medication, may slow down the development of the disease and manage its symptoms.
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View Our LightCan A Person Have Both Alzheimer's And Vascular Dementia?
A patient may suffer from both Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia. It is called mixed dementia when a person has more than two types of dementia symptoms. Moreover, Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia are believed to be the most common combination. Symptoms of mixed dementia include memory loss, issues with processing new information, disorientation, an inability to communicate well, issues with making decisions, mood and personality changes, an inability to balance or coordinate, and an inability to read and write normally.
To treat and manage mixed dementia, patients will need to take medications such as cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, blood pressure, and cholesterol tablets, change their lifestyle, by exercising and eating healthily, participate in music therapy for dementia and get involved in cognitive behavioral therapy.
What Is The Connection Between Vascular Issues And Alzheimer's Disease?
The connection between vascular issues and Alzheimer’s Disease is that it affects cognition. By having a good vascular system and neuronal function, a person’s survival rate increases due to normal blood flow to the brain. However, if the vascular system has issues, then it reduces blood flow, causes inflation, and causes oxidative stress, which are precursors to AD.
Risk factors and prevention for Alzheimer’s Disease can be achieved by managing risk factors such as smoking, sugar levels, high cholesterol, and hypertension. By switching and having a lifestyle change by incorporating brain exercises to prevent Alzheimer’s, dietary that are rich in nutrients, and stress management, patients can prevent and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Current research shows that those who suffer from vascular diseases in midlife may suffer from dementia. Some research suggests that atherosclerotic changes in patients with Alzheimer’s may impact their arteries and increase blood pressure. (Brazier., 2023)
Is Alzheimer's More Common Than Vascular Dementia?
Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia. Around 60–80% of dementia patients suffer from Alzheimer’s. Followed by Alzheimer’s is Vascular Dementia which affects 1 in 10 dementia patients.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Vascular Dementia Vs Alzheimer's
What Are The Differences Between Alzheimer’s Vs Vascular Dementia?
Vascular Dementia happens when the brain is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, which is caused by cerebrovascular diseases. It takes place because there is insufficient blood flow to the brain due to stroke. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s Disease is caused by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, which affects 60–80% of dementia patients.
How To Distinguish Alzheimer's From Vascular Dementia?
To distinguish between these diseases, it is important to know that Vascular Dementia may take place slowly or suddenly and is more noticeable in the brain. Alzheimer’s may be gradual or progress rapidly over time.
