Survival and support
Stroke survivors twice as likely to be living with dementia
Stroke survivors are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general UK population, according to our new analysis.
The analysis shows that the age and gender-standardised rate of dementia is 55 per 1,000 people among those who have survived a stroke compared to 26 per 1,000 people in the general UK population.
In total, an estimated 8.6 per cent of stroke survivors – around 120,000 people - are living with dementia in the UK. The number of people diagnosed with both conditions has nearly doubled in the past decade, largely due to greater awareness and better diagnosis of dementia.
Of those who develop dementia after a stroke, around three quarters are diagnosed with vascular dementia.
The true scale of the relationship between stroke and vascular dementia is now emerging as recording of dementia improves. Research is urgently needed to find new ways to prevent and treat the diseases.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Associate Medical Director, said:
“Improvements in diagnosis and treatment mean that people are more likely than ever to survive and recover from a stroke. But these concerning figures show that stroke survivors are at an increased risk of being diagnosed with dementia - a devastating combination for people and their families to live with. The number of people living with all forms of dementia is also expected to rise over the next decade, fuelled by better awareness of the condition and the growing and ageing population.
“Research has led to significant progress in treating heart attacks and stroke, but little progress has been made in treating dementia. Funding research could prove crucial in finding new ways to prevent and treat this devastating disease.”
Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia and occurs where there’s a problem with the blood supply to an area of your brain. It often happens following a stroke. The cells in this affected area of your brain don’t get enough oxygen or nutrients, and they begin to die.
Vascular dementia, stroke and heart attack share many of the same risk factors including high blood pressure, and diabetes.
While vascular dementia is associated with getting older, it can affect people of all ages. If you develop the condition and are under 65 years old, this is known as ‘young onset’ or ‘early onset’ vascular dementia.
Greater research needed
The BHF is funding nearly £10 million of research into vascular dementia but says the area has been neglected in the past.
Professor Joanna Wardlaw from the University of Edinburgh is leading a clinical trial into potential treatments for a type of stroke, called lacunar stroke, which is caused by a blood vessel problem that may also cause up to half of all dementias. The BHF-funded trial is finding out if two drugs currently used to treat other heart and circulatory diseases could be used to treat lacunar strokes and potentially prevent some cases of dementia. It’s one of only five trials into vascular dementia worldwide.
Professor Wardlaw said:
“There is mounting evidence that stroke could be responsible for significant numbers of people developing dementia. Greater research is urgently needed in this currently neglected area. Our trial could help to find new and effective ways of treating vascular dementia, providing a lifeline for the thousands of people living with this debilitating disease."
Symptoms for vascular dementia can include concentration problems such as losing interest in what is happening around you; mood and personality changes; difficulty with daily activities and feeling confused. The condition is progressive, meaning that it will get worse over time.
Lesley Jackson, a retired admin manager from Brent in London, knows the true heartbreak that can be caused by dementia.
Lesley, now 57, was only 50 when she was diagnosed with vascular dementia following her second transient ischaemic attack (TIA), also known as a ‘mini stroke’. She has now had three TIAs in total. At first Lesley, a mother of two and grandmother of three, was in denial about her diagnosis and continued working, until her GP told her that she needed to retire.
She now spends most of her time inside, only going out once a month for fear that confusion will set in. Just before Christmas 2019, Lesley was waiting at the traffic lights at a busy intersection on her way to the butchers. As she was waiting for the light to change for her to cross the road, she caught sight of the light changing in the other direction. Thinking it was for her, she stepped out and started to cross the road. Fortunately for Lesley, somebody reached out and pulled her back.
Lesley said:
“Being diagnosed with vascular dementia has turned my world upside down. I rarely feel confident enough to leave the house by myself, and I have to rely on others for simple everyday tasks, like doing my grocery shopping. This horrible condition has robbed me of my independence.
“I hope for a future where people don’t have to experience what I’m living through. It hasn’t just changed my life, but also my close family who have to support me. I never thought I would develop vascular dementia, especially so young, but nobody is safe from this horrible disease.”
By 2050, the number of people living with vascular dementia in the UK is predicted to double.