Grand Canyon Times

There were 52 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Arizona in the week ending June 24, making up 4.3% of total deaths by all causes in Arizona, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 24, there were 1,217 deaths in the state. 20% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.6% were from cancer and 1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.2% 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	243	20
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	238	19.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	56	4.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	52	4.3
Diabetes mellitus	41	3.4
Alzheimer's disease	38	3.1
Influenza and pneumonia	16	1.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	12	1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 0.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	100	8.2