Vascular Dementia Risk Factors
Risk factors for vascular dementia include risk factors for the conditions associated with VaD, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and atherosclerosis:
- Increasing age
- High blood pressure
- Cigarette smoking
- High cholesterol and triglyceride levels
- Diabetes
- Atrial fibrillation (fast and irregular rate of the upper two heart chambers)
- High level of homocysteine in the blood, which can cause damage to blood vessels, heart disease, and blood clots
- Lack of physical activity
- Overweight or obesity
- Oral contraceptive use
- Conditions that cause the blood to "thicken" or clot more easily
- Family history of dementia
- Family history of CADASIL