Great Lakes Wire

There were 77 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Michigan in the week ending Aug. 5, making up 4.2% of total deaths by all causes in Michigan, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 5, there were 1,812 deaths in the state. 23.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.8% were from cancer and 0.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8% 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
Heart disease	419	23.1
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	377	20.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	111	6.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	77	4.2
Alzheimer's disease	69	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	47	2.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	46	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	20	1.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	11	0.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	145	8