Yellowhammer Times

There were 27 deaths from nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis reported in Alabama in the week ending July 24, making up 2.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 24, there were 1,083 deaths in the state. 23.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.4 percent were from cancer and 11.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.4 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	253	23.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	188	17.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	72	6.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	63	5.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	57	5.3
Alzheimer's disease	45	4.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	41	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	36	3.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	15	1.4

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	80	7.4