Great Lakes Wire

There were 470 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Michigan in the week ending July 31, making up 25.4 percent of total deaths by all causes in Michigan, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 31, there were 1,847 deaths in the state. 25.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.8 percent were from cancer and 3.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.3 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	470	25.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	421	22.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	105	5.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	83	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	75	4.1
Diabetes mellitus	49	2.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	33	1.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	24	1.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	24	1.3
Influenza and pneumonia	12	0.6

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	135	7.3