Peach Tree Times

There were 313 deaths from cancer reported in Georgia in the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, making up 19.1% of total deaths by all causes in Georgia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, there were 1,636 deaths in the state. 22.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.1% were from cancer and 6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12% 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	369	22.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	313	19.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	115	7
Cerebrovascular diseases	86	5.3
Alzheimer's disease	69	4.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	57	3.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	47	2.9
Diabetes mellitus	41	2.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	41	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	33	2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	197	12