Alzheimer's Disease and Stroke: A Tangled Neurological Conundrum

A neurodegenerative disorder, Alzheimer's disease (AD), is characterized by dementia in which there is an age-related decline in cognition and higher functions. Stroke is a cerebrovascular disorder that frequently presents in old age and is a known risk factor for AD development. However, the association that AD can be a risk factor for stroke is not well-studied. This review article compiled various studies that pointed out the association between stroke development in patients with dementia, particularly AD-related dementia. The pathophysiological progression of stroke in AD cases and the genetic makeup possibly affecting the interrelation between these disorders were analyzed in detail using currently available data and studies. Therapeutic and management modalities already in use for AD were put together, and the possibility of early intervention in such patients benefitting cerebrovascular pathologies, particularly stroke-related, was explored. Prognostic differences between patients of stroke with and without AD were also reviewed, and how appropriate management can reduce the burden on health care settings when both present simultaneously was emphasized.