Peach Tree Times

There were 40 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Georgia during the week ending Aug. 27, 2022, a 9.1% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 27, 2022, there were 1,607 deaths in the state. 20.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.3% were from cancer and 9.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.7% 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 Aug. 27, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 20, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	342	348
Heart disease	334	321
Alzheimer's disease	96	80
Cerebrovascular diseases	91	103
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	91	120
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	86	66
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	58	89
Diabetes mellitus	40	44
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	37	41
Influenza and pneumonia	20	19

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 27, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 20, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	172	172