Old North News

There were 54 deaths with heart disease listed as the underlying cause reported in North Carolina during the week ending May 1, 2021, a 17.4% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, 2021, there were 365 deaths in the state. 14.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 14.2% were from cancer and 40.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.1% 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 May 1, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending April 24, 2021
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	81	88
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	67	78
Heart disease	54	46
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	52	41
Cerebrovascular diseases	17	15
Alzheimer's disease	12	10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 10
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	14
Influenza and pneumonia	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 1, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending April 24, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	26	17