Yellowhammer Times

There were 61 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Alabama in the week ending May 1, 2021, making up 5.4% of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, 2021, there were 1,132 deaths in the state. 25.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.6% were from cancer and 7.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.3% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	285	25.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	211	18.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	61	5.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	56	4.9
Alzheimer's disease	48	4.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	43	3.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	38	3.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	25	2.2
Diabetes mellitus	23	2
Influenza and pneumonia	20	1.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	83	7.3