Yellowhammer Times

There were 23 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Alabama in the week ending May 15, making up 2.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 15, there were 1,066 deaths in the state. 24.6 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.9 percent were from cancer and 9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.1 percent of deaths were from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Studies show doctors and medical examiners may underreport Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related conditions as the underlying cause of death on death certificates, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Once infected, older adults with dementia are likely to develop a more severe and dangerous illness. The diseases which make an older adult more vulnerable to COVID-19 are age-associated chronic conditions, according to the Bright Focus Foundation.

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	262	24.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	180	16.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	67	6.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	57	5.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	50	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	48	4.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	46	4.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	30	2.8
Diabetes mellitus	23	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	14	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	86	8.1