Fortnightly Review: Vascular dementia

Summary points

Symptomatic stroke increases the risk of dementia more than ninefold Vascular dementia is one of the three commonest causes of dementia Above the age of 85 years it may be commoner than Alzheimer9s disease Vascular dementia may be caused by multiple infarcts, white matter ischaemia, or a strategically placed infarct All patients with possible vascular dementia need careful assessment to detect any underlying causes and risk factors that might be remediable