Yellowhammer Times

There were 19 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Alabama in the week ending May 29, making up 1.8 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 1,049 deaths in the state. 24.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.6 percent were from cancer and 5.3 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.1 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	260	24.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	206	19.6
Alzheimer's disease	59	5.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	56	5.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	52	5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	32	3.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	24	2.3
Diabetes mellitus	19	1.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	18	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	16	1.5

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	95	9.1