Vascular dementia 'red flag' warning that happens while you sleep
A doctor has highlighted a red flag for vascular dementia after newsreader Alastair Stewart revealed he had the condition.
Dr Mark Porter said that tackling snoring was really important, and that the condition can be easier to prevent than Alzheimer's disease, another type of dementia. Mr Stewart, who retired from regular broadcasting on GB News earlier this year after nearly five decades on air, revealed he has early onset vascular dementia on Sunday.
The 71-year-old told GB News that he felt "a bit discombobulated" about six or nine months ago when he had difficulties with the time and doing his shoelaces. A scan found he had had a series of minor strokes and was diagnosed with vascular dementia, which affects around 180,000 people in the UK and is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.
Dr Porter said that early vascular dementia is often overlooked compared to Alzheimers, and said they both account for at least 80% of cases in the UK. He said that the link with snoring may not be known by many people.
"First, snoring. More specifically obstructive sleep apnoea, where heavy snorers stop breathing multiple times during the night," he wrote in The Times. "Sleep apnoea is linked to a greater risk of developing a range of problems, including stroke, TIA, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia .... Suffice to say that if you have sleep apnoea, you should tackle it (options range from losing weight to sleeping in a special mask)."
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He also explained that Mr Stewart had suffered from minor strokes and this was a key thing to look out for. "Never ignore a funny turn that could be a mini-stroke/TIA," he said. "They are called transient ischaemic attacks because they resolve completely, often within minutes, but that does not mean they can be dismissed.
"So if you develop symptoms like slurred speech, struggling to find your words, odd weakness or pins and needles please report it. At worst a TIA could herald a big stroke on the horizon, and at best indicates underlying problems that require prompt medical and lifestyle interventions."
Symptoms of vascular dementia:
- Slowness of thought
- Difficulty with planning and understanding
- Problems with concentration
- Changes to your mood, personality or behaviour
- Feeling disoriented and confused
- Difficulty walking and keeping balance
- Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as problems with memory and language (many people with vascular dementia also have Alzheimer's disease)
Dr Porter continued: "Symptoms vary, but typical early signs of trouble include poor concentration, problems with planning and organising, and difficulty doing complex tasks like navigating while driving and following lengthy instructions such as a recipe. Other clues include confusion, hallucinations and changes in mood, behaviour and personality - people often become depressed or anxious or fly off the handle over things that would not normally bother them. Memory loss, typically for more recent events, is another symptom, but tends to be less common and, at least initially, less marked than in Alzheimer's disease."
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