# Vascular dementia

Source: https://onco.cc/diagnoses/vascular-dementia/  
OnCo record `vascular-dementia` (Diagnosis). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Vascular dementia follows stroke or other blood-vessel injury in the brain. There is no FDA-approved medicine specifically for its cognitive symptoms. Vascular risk care still matters.

## Summary

Vascular cognitive impairment covers a range from mild changes after small-vessel disease to dementia after infarcts. Management focuses on the diagnosed vascular condition, symptoms, safety, and, where indicated, blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke prevention. Cholinesterase inhibitors are not approved for vascular dementia as a cognitive indication. Mixed Alzheimer’s and vascular pathology is common.

## Fields

- Kind: Diagnosis
- Last checked: 2026-09-21
- Tags: dementia-atlas
- Group: dementia

## Standard of care

- After a vascular diagnosis: Treat vascular risks that the person’s clinicians already manage for stroke prevention. Offer practical cognitive and safety support. Do not assume an Alzheimer’s antibody applies. ([Lifestyle and risk](https://onco.cc/fronts/da-front-lifestyle-risk/))

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vascular_dementia
- Alzheimer’s Association: types of dementia: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/types-of-dementia

## Connected records

- diagnoses: [Dementia (umbrella)](https://onco.cc/diagnoses/dementia/), [Mixed dementia](https://onco.cc/diagnoses/mixed-dementia/)
- fronts: [Lifestyle and risk](https://onco.cc/fronts/da-front-lifestyle-risk/), [Symptomatic care](https://onco.cc/fronts/da-front-symptomatic-care/)
- bottlenecks: [Wrong-subtype treatment](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/da-bn-subtype-misclassification/)
- technologies: [Brain MRI](https://onco.cc/technologies/da-tech-mri/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/vascular-dementia.json