Peach Tree Times

There were 26 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Georgia during the week ending May 7, 2022, a 16.1% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 7, 2022, there were 972 deaths in the state. 21.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21% were from cancer and 3.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.5% 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 7, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 30, 2022
Heart disease	207	289
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	204	274
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	63	75
Cerebrovascular diseases	55	62
Alzheimer's disease	45	56
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	35
Diabetes mellitus	26	31
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	17	28
Influenza and pneumonia	15	19
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	14	15

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 7, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 30, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	92	99