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Epidemiology of Vascular Dementia
Wolters FJ, Ikram MA.. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology, 2019-07-11
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The notion of what qualifies as vascular dementia has varied greatly since the first mention of dementia after apoplexy in ancient literature. Current insight points towards a multifactorial cause of cognitive decline at old age, in which vascular components like atherosclerosis, arterio(lo)sclerosis, (micro)infarcts, and amyloid angiopathy play an important role alongside other markers of neurodegeneration. Cerebrovascular disease will be present in most individuals with dementia, but-just like other causes-rarely a cause on its own. The consequent limitations of nosology may be alleviated by addition of a vascular component to the recently introduced amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration etiological classification system for dementia. Meanwhile, risk of dementia is increased about 2-fold after stroke, and the prevention of (recurrent) stroke remains a cornerstone in the prevention of vascular dementia. Similarly, control of cardiovascular risk factors from middle age onwards is likely to have contributed to the reported decline in the age-specific incidence of dementia over the past decades. In conjunction with experimental studies, large-scale observational evidence from imaging, genomics, metabolomics, and alike will continue to improve our understanding of the underlying pathophysiological processes. To prevent ecological fallacies, such etiological studies in patients with dementia are best served by inclusion of subjects regardless of the presumed (single) cause of their disease.
Key findings
- The consequent limitations of nosology may be alleviated by addition of a vascular component to the recently introduced amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration etiological classification system for dementia.
- Meanwhile, risk of dementia is increased about 2-fold after stroke, and the prevention of (recurrent) stroke remains a cornerstone in the prevention of vascular dementia.
- Similarly, control of cardiovascular risk factors from middle age onwards is likely to have contributed to the reported decline in the age-specific incidence of dementia over the past decades.
- In conjunction with experimental studies, large-scale observational evidence from imaging, genomics, metabolomics, and alike will continue to improve our understanding of the underlying pathophysiological processes.
- To prevent ecological fallacies, such etiological studies in patients with dementia are best served by inclusion of subjects regardless of the presumed (single) cause of their disease.
Why it matters
This review describes vascular dementia as usually having multiple contributing causes, with cerebrovascular disease present in most people with dementia but rarely a cause on its own. It states that dementia risk is about doubled after stroke and that preventing stroke and controlling cardiovascular risk factors from middle age remain cornerstones of prevention.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: journal h-index 340 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 404 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 44.9 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 21.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 15 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 211 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author M. Arfan Ikram: h-index 167 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Erasmus MC: institution h-index 1,321 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31294622) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.119.311908
- PubMed: 31294622
- Original source →
- Free full text: Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Wolters, F. J., & Ikram, M. A. (2019). Epidemiology of Vascular Dementia. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology. https://doi.org/10.1161/atvbaha.119.311908
Vancouver
Wolters FJ, Ikram MA. Epidemiology of Vascular Dementia. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology. 2019. doi:10.1161/atvbaha.119.311908. PMID: 31294622.
BibTeX
@article{wolters2019-31294622,
author = {Wolters, F. J. and Ikram, M. A.},
title = {{Epidemiology of Vascular Dementia}},
journal = {Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1161/atvbaha.119.311908},
pmid = {31294622},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1161/atvbaha.119.311908}
}
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