Great Lakes Wire

There were less than 10 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Michigan in the week ending Dec. 24, making up less than 55.6% of total deaths by all causes in Michigan, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 24, there were 18 deaths in the state. Less than 55.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease and less than 55.6% were from cancer Additionally, 1000% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	< 10	< 55.6
Heart disease	< 10	< 55.6
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
Diabetes mellitus	0	0
Alzheimer's disease	0	0
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	0	0
Cerebrovascular diseases	0	0
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	180	1000