Mini Review
Alzheimerâs Disease, Cerebrovascular Disease and Dementia: APotentially Preventable and Modifiable Syndrome
Dennis A Davey*
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Western Cape, South Africa
- Corresponding Author:
- Dennis A Davey
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Cape Town
Anzio Road, Observatory
Western Cape, South Africa
Tel: +27217121314
E-mail: profdad@eject.co.za
Received date: February 12, 2015; Accepted date: March 10, 2015; Published date: March 17, 2015
Citation: Davey DA (2015) Alzheimer’s Disease, Cerebrovascular Disease and Dementia: A Potentially Preventable and Modifiable Syndrome. J Alzheimers Dis Parkinsonism 5:184. doi:10.4172/2161-0460.1000184
Copyright: © 2015 Davey DA. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) frequently co-exist and are part of a syndrome that may result in ageing-related cognitive impairment and dementia. Somemen and women with the neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular changes associated with dementia have normal cognition ascribed to a high cognitive reserve or resilience. Many measures claimed to decrease the risk of dementia are the same as those that prevent cardiovascular disease. In several countries the age-specific prevalence of dementia is decreasing and the decrease has been attributed to a decrease in cardiovascular risk factors andan increase in cognitive reserve associated with better education and healthier life-styles in recent generations.Modifiable risk factors are present in up to 50% of persons with dementia. By reducingrisk factors andpromotingprotective factors from early and mid-life onwards,cognitive impairment and dementia maybe prevented or delayedwell into old age in a significant proportion of men and women.