Yellowhammer Times

There were 280 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Alabama in the week ending June 5, making up 26.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 5, there were 1,057 deaths in the state. 26.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.2 percent were from cancer and 6.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.7 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	280	26.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	182	17.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	64	6.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	60	5.7
Alzheimer's disease	46	4.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	35	3.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	30	2.8
Diabetes mellitus	22	2.1
Influenza and pneumonia	20	1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	1.8

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	81	7.7