Grand Canyon Times

There were 14 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Arizona in the week ending July 24, making up 1.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Arizona, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 24, there were 1,253 deaths in the state. 19.3 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.9 percent were from cancer and 10.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8 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	242	19.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	212	16.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	68	5.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	63	5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	58	4.6
Alzheimer's disease	49	3.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	49	3.9
Diabetes mellitus	48	3.8
Influenza and pneumonia	14	1.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	14	1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	100	8