ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Dementia is an acquired syndrome characterized by a progressive deterioration in intellectual functions, including memory, language, reasoning, and judgment. The term “dementia” does not refer to a specific disease, but rather to a cluster of symptoms that accompany certain diseases or conditions. Dementia is largely a condition of elderly persons, with more than 98% of those affected are older than 65 years. It is estimated that approximately 28 million people worldwide currently suffer from dementia, and this number is expected to double by 2020 and possibly quadruple by 2050 (1,2). Dementia poses a considerable burden to society and is recognized as one of the most significant public health challenges facing the twenty-first century. There are many causes of dementia. However, from a public health perspective, there are two main causes of interest. Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common cause of dementia and accounts for at least 60% to 70% of all cases and up to 90% in some studies (2-5). Cerebrovascular disease is the second most common cause of dementia (i.e., vascular dementia or vascular cognitive impairment) and accounts for about 15% to 20% of all cases, often occurring in combination with Alzheimer’s disease (4,5).
