Stroke Prevention Best Path to Dementia Reduction, Experts Say

These people can't be experts, they aren't leading anything. So rather than actually creating protocols post stroke that prevent dementia these goddamn lazy fuckers just threw their hands up in the air  and left the 10 million yearly stroke survivors  with no help. Are you going to individually tell each of those 10 million  that they are screwed because you don't know how to do your job? Since I'm not medically trained I'm not qualified to criticize medical 'professionals'.

Stroke Prevention Best Path to Dementia Reduction, Experts Say

A global group of neurology experts has issued a call to action for a coordinated effort reduce the incidence of dementia via stroke prevention.
Worldwide, neurologic disorders account for the largest number of disease-adjusted life years (DALYs). More than half of DALYs from neurologic disorders result from stroke and dementia.
Both conditions arise from similar treatable risk and protective factors, and growing evidence suggests preventing stroke can also prevent some dementias. About 90% of strokes are potentially preventable, as are some dementias.

Dr Vladimir Hachinski

"The evidence by now is overwhelming and incontestable" that stroke doubles the chances of developing dementia, Vladimir Hachinski, MD, professor of neurology and epidemiology at Western University in Canada and Vice President of the World Stroke Organization, told Medscape Medical News.

Hachinski, who coined the term "brain attack" and devised the Hachinski Ischemic Score that remains the standard for identifying a vascular component of cognitive impairment, is among 26 experts who met in Berlin, Germany to hammer out a plan of action.
These experts are authors of an article outlining their proposed strategy. The article was published online July 18 in Alzheimer's & Dementia.

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The article reviews the epidemiology and pathophysiology related to stroke and dementia and includes recommendations for prevention.

The public, and even the medical profession, is largely unaware that the most common outcome of cerebrovascular disease is not stroke but cognitive impairment, said Hachinski.
He cited one study showing that for each identified clinical stroke, there are about five "silent" strokes where the patient has no symptoms and may not even be aware of the event's occurrence.
"But if you test these people, they have decreased processing speed, impairment in working memory, and impairment in executive function," Hachinski said.
In Canada, Hachinski's research group found that about 64% of those over age 65 who have a stroke will have some cognitive impairment, although not necessarily dementia.

There are two ways to try to prevent dementia, said Hachinski. The first is what he refers to as a "silver bullet approach," which involves searching for a drug to stop the accumulation of amyloid.
"We're a long way away from that because nothing has worked so far, and even if you find something today, it will probably be 5 or 10 years before it's implemented."