Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, affecting around one in ten people with dementia.
According to Medicalnewstoday, it occurs when other underlying conditions disrupt blood flow to the brain, resulting in insufficient oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Insufficient blood flow can damage and eventually kill cells anywhere in the body, but the brain is particularly vulnerable.
Many factors can put you at increased risk for vascular dementia, including diabetes, hypertension, and many others. In addition, a lesser-known factor - blood type - can also play a role in your level of risk for vascular dementia, experts say.
Most people don't realize that blood type can affect their health. In fact, blood type can increase or decrease your risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer, stroke and many other conditions. It can also affect your memory, which can increase or decrease your risk of dementia.
Blood types that are associated with an 82% greater chance of having memory loss:
If you have the ABO gene - which means having blood type A, B or AB - is associated with an 82% increased risk of memory loss. People with blood type O are at the lowest risk of memory problems and therefore dementia.
One possible reason for this memory loss is the fact that blood type can lead to things like hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. These conditions can cause cognitive impairment and dementia.