Vascular Dementia Medication

Updated: Mar 26, 2018
  • Author: Kannayiram Alagiakrishnan, MD, MBBS, MPH, MHA; Chief Editor: Glen L Xiong, MD  more...
  • Print
Medication

Medication Summary

Medical therapy options include antiplatelet and hemorheologic agents.

Next:

Antiplatelet agents

Class Summary

Studies have shown antiplatelet agents are useful for preventing recurrent stroke. In vascular dementia, a pilot study showed that aspirin has positive effects on cognitive deficits. Recent studies have shown it may have some neuroprotective effects. Other antiplatelet agents are ticlopidine and clopidogrel.

Aspirin (Anacin, Ascriptin, Bayer aspirin)

Prevents platelet-aggregating thromboxane A2 by blocking prostaglandin synthetase action and thereby preventing prostaglandin synthesis.

Ticlopidine (Ticlid)

Used in patients who cannot tolerate aspirin therapy or in whom aspirin therapy fails.

Clopidogrel bisulfate (Plavix)

Antiplatelet drug that acts by direct inhibition of ADP binding to the platelet receptor and of subsequent ADP-mediated activation of the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex.

Previous
Next:

Hemorheologic agents

Class Summary

Improve flow properties of blood by lowering viscosity, improving erythrocyte flexibility, inhibiting platelet aggregation and thrombus formation, and suppressing leukocyte adhesion.

Pentoxifylline (Trental)

In a multicenter, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial involving 29 European centers, improvement in cognitive function at 9 mo was noted.

Previous