Peach Tree Times

There were 88 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Georgia during the week ending June 17, a 6% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 17, there were 1,621 deaths in the state. 21.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22% were from cancer and 0.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10% 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 June 17	Deaths in Week Ending June 10
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	356	350
Heart disease	347	365
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	88	83
Alzheimer's disease	70	73
Cerebrovascular diseases	68	79
Diabetes mellitus	39	39
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	37	39
Influenza and pneumonia	20	23
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	13	16
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending June 17	Deaths in Week Ending June 10
Alzheimer disease and dementia	162	167