Factors associated with vascular dementia in an elderly community population

Objective. Examination of associated factors for vascular dementia in compa rison with Alzheimer's disease and a non-demented control population. Setting. A semi-rural geographically defined population, in Melton Mowbray and the surrounding area, consisting of elderly patients aged 75 and over f rom a 13-doctor general practice. Method. 438 subjects, sampled according to results of initial screening wit h the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), were examined using the Cambrid ge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination (CAMDEX), which was also use d to classify the subtypes of dementia. Results. 34 subjects had vascular dementia, 222 had Alzheimer's disease and 140 were non-demented according to the clinician's diagnosis based on the CAMDEX criteria. Significant factors associated with vascular dementia, whe n compared to the Alzheimer's disease and non-demented groups, were family history of stroke and diabetes. Stroke was also significant, but this facto r is one of those defining the criteria for diagnostic grouping. There were no significant differences between groups for falls, heart attack, hyperte nsion, head injury, substance abuse or lipid levels. Conclusion. The results are broadly consistent with the published literatur e and emphasize the importance of diabetes as a key risk factor for vascula r dementia. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.