Yellowhammer Times

There were 43 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Alabama in the week ending July 10, making up 3.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 10, there were 1,113 deaths in the state. 26.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.4 percent were from cancer and 6.3 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.5 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	295	26.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	205	18.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	56	5
Alzheimer's disease	47	4.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	43	3.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	36	3.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	34	3.1
Diabetes mellitus	19	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	18	1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	16	1.4

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	84	7.5