Great Lakes Wire

There were 65 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Michigan in the week ending January 1, making up 4.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Michigan, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending January 1, there were 1,504 deaths in the state. 19.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16 percent were from cancer and 45.6 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.4 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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	359	23.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	327	21.7
Heart disease	293	19.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	241	16
Cerebrovascular diseases	69	4.6
Alzheimer's disease	66	4.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	65	4.3
Diabetes mellitus	30	2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	28	1.9
Influenza and pneumonia	15	1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	112	7.4