Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI)

VASCULAR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (VCI)

A common form of dementia often mistaken for Alzheimer's can be prevented with good health habits, a new report published in the December issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource indicated.

Brain damage from multiple small strokes, which can occur from narrowing or blocked arteries in the brain, are often the cause of Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI).

People can greatly reduce their risk of developing the disease by lowering their blood pressure, quitting smoking, and keeping diabetes and cholesterol levels under control.

VCI shares Alzheimer's symptoms such as confusion, agitation, language and memory problems, and unsteady gait and falls. However, the first symptom of VCI usually is the declining ability to organize thoughts or actions. In Alzheimer's, memory problems are usually the first sign of the condition.