Peach Tree Times

There were 37 deaths with nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis listed as the underlying cause reported in Georgia during the week ending May 29, 2021, a 11.9% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, 2021, there were 1,695 deaths in the state. 21.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.4% were from cancer and 8.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.5% 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	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Heart disease	365	360
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	346	341
Cerebrovascular diseases	104	102
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	84	71
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	75	84
Alzheimer's disease	72	75
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	66	76
Diabetes mellitus	40	33
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	37	42
Influenza and pneumonia	13	19

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	144	156