Yellowhammer Times

There were 281 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Alabama in the week ending August 7, making up 21.7 percent of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 7, there were 1,296 deaths in the state. 21.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15 percent were from cancer and 33.2 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.2 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	281	21.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	222	17.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	208	16
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	194	15
Cerebrovascular diseases	70	5.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	55	4.2
Alzheimer's disease	43	3.3
Diabetes mellitus	29	2.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	1.5
Influenza and pneumonia	15	1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	93	7.2