Peach Tree Times

There were 168 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Georgia in the week ending Jan. 15, making up 19.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Jan. 15, there were 874 deaths in the state. 19.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.4 percent were from cancer and 43.6 percent were from COVID-19.

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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	199	22.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	182	20.8
Heart disease	168	19.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	135	15.4
Alzheimer's disease	61	7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	56	6.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	41	4.7
Diabetes mellitus	21	2.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	16	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1