Pelican State News

There were 39 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Louisiana in the week ending May 22, making up 4.7 percent of total deaths by all causes in Louisiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 22, there were 824 deaths in the state. 26.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.1 percent were from cancer and 7.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.2 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
Heart disease	220	26.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	157	19.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	50	6.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	39	4.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	33	4
Diabetes mellitus	31	3.8
Alzheimer's disease	30	3.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	29	3.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	25	3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	51	6.2