Old North News

There were 12 deaths with cerebrovascular disease listed as the underlying cause reported in North Carolina during the week ending May 29, 2021, a 33.3% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, 2021, there were 375 deaths in the state. 13.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16% were from cancer and 34.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.3% 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 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	68	76
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	62	73
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	60	58
Heart disease	52	39
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	18	< 10
Alzheimer's disease	12	10
Cerebrovascular diseases	12	18
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	31	31