Living with Dementia, April 2008

Vascular dementia is the second  most common cause of dementia  after Alzheimer's disease, affecting an estimated 200,000 people in the UK and five million people worldwide. One in four older people develop vascular dementia after a stroke. It can also result from narrowing of the small blood vessels in the brain. 

Despite the high frequency of the problem, few people seem to know what vascular dementia is. There are no licensed treatments and very little ongoing research. 

Alzheimer's Society has started to  tackle this by producing clear information about vascular dementia as part of the Hearts and Brains project. We are funding a  review of community studies to understand the role that potential medical risks (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes) and lifestyle factors play in the development of vascular dementia. 

Evidence from this research will help us to develop the most effective  approaches needed to prevent, delay and treat vascular dementia.  The Society needs to fight hard for  all people with dementia.  Highlighting the needs of people with vascular dementia and the urgent need for research for this neglected group of individuals must remain a high priority. 

Professor Clive Ballard,  Director of Research