Peach Tree Times

There were 143 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Georgia in the week ending May 7, making up 21.3% of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 7, there were 670 deaths in the state. 21.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.4% were from cancer and 3.7% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	150	22.4
Heart disease	143	21.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	47	7
Alzheimer's disease	38	5.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	37	5.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	2.8
Diabetes mellitus	17	2.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	14	2.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	11	1.6
Influenza and pneumonia	10	1.5