Vascular Dementia diagnosis

4MY❤️

hi, I’ve been around here awhile. My LO (hubby) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 5 years ago although he has had clear symptoms for 8 years. I didn’t realize this at the time, but two years ago he had a heart attack which is most likely due to his vascular issues. We had an MRI two weeks ago to get this conclusive diagnosis. He’s got other issues going on but I am still waiting on some other results, heart related.

I felt a little blindsided by the new diagnosis. I have always researched Alzheimer’s and assumed that Alz was the disease we were dealing with. It is hard to find too much info on VD although I remember feeling the same way at the beginning when I was researching for AD. What I do see is that it appears to be a shorter timeline from diagnosis to death but it’s not the dementia that usually kills them, it’s comes from the vascular complications. What does this mean that I look out for? Can anyone please share with me their experience with VD? I’d really appreciate it.

SDianeL

Dementia is an overarching term that refers to a range of symptoms affecting cognitive abilities, while Alzheimer's disease is a specific type of dementia characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Other types of dementia exist, each with its own distinct causes and characteristics. Vascular Dementia is one cause. My DH was initially diagnosed with VD but after i sent the Neurologist his behaviors and symptoms, 18 months later she looked at his last CT Scan again and changed the diagnosis to Alzheimer’s-Posterior Cortical Atrophy. I would want to know why your husband’s diagnosis was changed or whether he could have both. Did they do a spinal tap to diagnosis Alzheimer’s? I know this doesn’t answer your question about what to look for but I’m not sure there is an answer to that. Hopefully others will answer.

SDianeL

from The Mayo Clinic: Changes in your thought processes occur in noticeable steps downward from your previous level of function, unlike the gradual, steady decline that typically occurs in Alzheimer's disease dementia.

But vascular dementia can also develop very gradually, just like Alzheimer's disease dementia. What's more, vascular disease and Alzheimer's disease often occur together.

Studies show that many people with dementia and evidence of brain vascular disease also have Alzheimer's disease.

SDianeL

my sister has VD and was diagnosed about 2014. Her progression has been gradual. I would say she is in Stage 6. My DH with Alzheimer’s-PCA was diagnosed in 2021 but had symptoms for a few years prior, passed away last August. So it depends on many factors and what area of the brain is affected by the disease. Hope this helps. Search online for the 7 Stages of Dementia that lists behaviors in each stage. Behaviors can overlap stages or not appear until a later stage.

4MY❤️

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/246701#Comment_246701

Thank you for your input. My husband went through all of the testing in 2020 and it was apparent that his memory was going, his brain MRI showed normal aging but the other tests said otherwise. Cut to today, we are in Mexico where we live half the year and the doctor here ordered extensive tests (much cheaper then the states and a much more thorough look into things rather then getting sent from Dr to Dr to Dr for one thing or another and from the results I have received already, we can see the dead areas in his brain due to vascular problems. I’m still waiting on more info. It wouldn’t shock me at all if he has Alz too.

Question for you… your sister has had it since 2014 and is in stage 6… that’s much slower decline then what I have found on the internet I don’t know if that is a good thing or not depending on quality of life, but it is just different then what I have read about it. We are probably bordering on stage 6, still solidly in stage 5 and declining. He still knows me and the kids although his memory is really, really bad. Does your sister show atypical symptoms with VD? I feel like my H is atypical Alz. Thanks for your input, it is maddening trying to get a handle on this disease. 🙏🏼

SDianeL

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/246775#Comment_246775

my sister still knows I’m someone she loves but not sure if she knows I’m her sister or if she even knows my name. Her husband announces me when I visit. She now has some aphasia and sentences are jumbled. She is urinary incontinent sometimes. She will take a shower with assistance but sometimes gets agitated. She is having hallucinations. She walks with a walker. I would say her behaviors are typical. Progression depends what part of the brain is affected plus countless other factors like overall health so there really is no typical dementia patient, just generalities. That’s why doctors won’t discuss stages. There is so much they still don’t know about the disease. Progression can be like steps with plateaus or steep decline or a combination of the two. It is maddening because there are no real answers. 😢

SDianeL

Searched AI and found this: “The average life expectancy for a man with vascular dementia is around 5 years after the onset of symptoms. This is generally shorter than the average life expectancy for Alzheimer's disease. However, individual experiences can vary greatly, with some individuals living much longer and others succumbing to the disease more quickly. Several factors can influence the progression and lifespan of vascular dementia, including:

• Age at diagnosis:Younger individuals may have a longer life expectancy compared to those diagnosed later in life. 
• Overall health:Existing conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke history can significantly impact life expectancy. 
• Rate of disease progression:Some individuals experience a more rapid decline in cognitive and physical function than others.”

H1235

My mom was diagnosed with VD 2 years ago. It’s my understanding that it can affect the brain in specific areas making symptoms show in different order depending on the person. My moms memory isn’t really that bad. Her biggest issues are executive functioning, decision making, logic and no ability to reason. She also has anosognosia so bad! She thinks she is perfectly capable of doing the same things she did 30 years ago. The fairly good memory creates problems. There is no pushing things off til tomorrow ( she will remember and be waiting). I find there are very few on these boards with a loved one that still has a good memory. As far as what to look for, I think I read somewhere that towards the last few stages they all end up in roughly the same place. I have also read average life expectancy is 5 years from diagnosis. Mom is 2 years in with multiple other conditions and really has not advanced much. I think there was someone here how had a lo with VD that had been dealing with it for 20 years ( maybe there were no other health problems or maybe they were misdiagnosed). The not knowing is so hard.

OldNinja99

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/73382/vascular-dementia-diagnosis

I have MCI due to vascular disease…vascular dementia. Yes, very short clock. Mine was from two strokes, the first put me in bed for a year THEN I had cranial angioplasty. Yay. I am 69.

1. MIND / DASH diet. Water and coffee only…LOTS of water.
2. Manage heart religiously. I have hypertension (hence the strokes); never miss meds…ever.
3. Walking. Also got an under desk elliptical machine for bad weather days.
4. Brain exercises. I sing and write and play video games. Read books.
   

I do not drive as much but I still do when I want to. Use GPS, even going to Target 3 miles away.

GRANDKIDS…we do day care for our kids. Being happy helps mitigate the anger. No drugs really address vascular dementia directly, but some of us get Rexulti anyway. I am NOT taking anything but BP drugs and a brain cocktail I created; zinc, turmeric, and NADH (10mg). The latter was from a dementia study I enrolled in. Got booted for being “too impaired”. Really?

Keep him moving, thinking, happy, hydrated, and on a strict medication schedule. Good luck.