Supplements that help Vascular Dementia

[Dramlouie]

Are there any supplements that people find actually work for vascular dementia?

[jeffcobb Ambassador]

Greetings; I had to look that one up and it turns out vascular dementia is just another name for what I/they thought I had at first (TIAs resulting in cognitive loss). What intrigues me is your question....what can any supplement possibly do for damage of this sort? I am honestly curious as I am studying the minutia of such damage (in general, not just stroke or TIA) to see what might be applicable to damage caused by degenerative disease....

[Dramlouie in reply to jeffcobb]

Hi

I know there are so many supplements that can help but they cost a fortune if one is to take them all. I believe that dementia covers a lot of brain issues that cause memory loss, more of an umbrella term, so vascular dementia is really the inability for the brain to obtain sufficient nutrients, oxygen, blood to function normally due to various issues. I just keep thinking that there is something out there that will help. How come one day all the memories are there, there is no repeating and then another day the memories are distant and there is confusion and constant repeating. It therefore means that a normal function is there but there is something that is either lacking or stopping the signals on an irregular basis. I think that there is a connection between sugar metabolism and thyroid hormones. My concern is to keep the vascular system in top condition, keep the vitamin and mineral content up and the nitric oxide levels up with citrulline, beetroot and hawthorn. We have to do our own research utilising research already published and see what works....

[Aristotle13 in reply to Dramlouie]

I like your way of thinking with regard to the vascular aspects of dementia. My wife has received a diagnosis of vascular dementia and frontal lobe astrophy associated with altzheimers disease. I noticed some time ago that there was a problem and for some time I have been giving her a supplement of K2-7 (600mcg). K2-7 in high doses is known to assist in clearing out atheroma and calcium deposits in both veins and arteries and I believe that as a result of this supplement, she is able to talk in sentences again with only minor hesitations and loss of words. It is obvious that those areas of brain which have suffered from deprivation of oxygen for even a short time, will die and no amount of medication of any sort will restore that dead area. However, the brain is an incredible organ and can often bypass those inactive areas and form sufficient connections to improve as has my wife. So we've actually gone from having a blank almost automaton, to a person who again takes an active part in life. This may not work for everyone and many will pooh-pooh the ideas but those same people would also have done the same when I cured myself of osteoporosis using the same technique. There is a lot of good information around relating to K2-7 and one of the better sources is a book written by a Canadian doctor Kate Rheume Bleue which goes into a lot of detail about some of the things that K2-7 may assist with. I hope that you find this helpful and the best of luck with your research which I hope that you will publish.

[ChristianElliott Partner]

There isn't anything specific on supplements for vascular dementia. Treating underlying conditions like hypertension and diabetes is important. See: emedicine.medscape.com/arti...

Also, from the Rotterdam study (thousands of people): "In the Rotterdam study, an increased risk of vascular dementia was associated with total fat intake, whereas fish consumption was inversely related to dementia.

Low levels of folate, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 are associated with increased homocysteine levels, a risk factor for stroke."

[jeffcobb Ambassador in reply to ChristianElliott]

My understanding was once the damage was done, nothing would fix it; the most you could hope for is if the brain itself tries to route around the damaged tissue but even there, I don't know of anything, supplement or medicine that can reliably trigger this. I am fairly certain I could take supplements the rest of my life and only die a healthier idiot.

[Dramlouie in reply to ChristianElliott]

You mentioned diabetes which is interesting as only yesterday I visited my Mum and found her about to go to bed at 2pm. She said she wasnt hungry and was confused. I found a half eaten box of chocolates by her chair downstairs my brother had given her the day before. Mum was actually hungry when I put a meal in front of her. But I noticed she was having difficulty swallowing a supplement, her speech was not as normal and she dribbled a few times. I did take her for a short walk. Am wondering if the sugar is the cause along with rivaroxaban. She has deteriorated so much since being on this drug. I had to take her off turmeric, omega 3s and gingko biloba. The doctor has refused her physio or occupational therapist saying its dementia. I have heard berberine helps with blood sugar levels. I am angry with my brother for giving her all these chocolates and leaving box. I have told him about sugar many times.

[jeffcobb Ambassador in reply to Dramlouie]

Is she diabetic? That brings up an interesting thought....I used to be diabetic myself, Type II, was headed for the heart-attack/leg amputation clinic when I decided to do something radical and got the RNY stomach surgery which basically reversed all my diabetic symptoms before even leaving the hospital post-op. However before that happened I had experienced many of those problems of diabetes when the sugar ran too high or too low (too low was more my problem, got really OCD about sugar) . I guess I mention this only to say that I had that problem 15 years ago and I have this one (LBD) now, and no I don't think they are related in any way, thats not the point. The point I guess is that the ...altered state you mind gets in when sugar is the problem feels very much like being drunk and feels very very different than the mind-altering stuff going on with generalized dementia...and I am also saying I am so glad I am not fighting both issues concurrently. And thats with me knowing diabetes and how to deal with it. If Mum doesn't know or isn't really on-board with the diabetes thing....man that can be rough. It took alot of discipline to manage my diabetes and I know what what few brain cells I have left, it would be a disaster today.