Dementia and stroke: the present and future epidemic

Abstract

Stroke and dementia are closely associated, whether in the form of vascular cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease and stroke share very similar risk factor profiles and may be prevented with similar modification programs. We are dealing with a present and future epidemic that will fundamentally affect health care provision in all high-income countries. At least 35 million people worldwide currently have dementia. Dementia prevalence is predicted to double every 20-years: an expected 66 million in 2030, 115 million in 2050. The burden of these diseases is considerable when taken with the annual 15 million people worldwide who will suffer stroke. There remains a disconnection between the nodes and modes of practice of stroke neurologists and cognitive physicians. As members of a broad medical community, we need to be aggressively managing vascular risk factors, as well as developing techniques to address the divide between the acute stroke patient of today and the dementia referral of tomorrow.