Keystone Today

There were 100 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Pennsylvania in the week ending May 29, making up four percent of total deaths by all causes in Pennsylvania, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 2,514 deaths in the state. 21.9 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.4 percent were from cancer and 10.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.4 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	550	21.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	463	18.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	146	5.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	128	5.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	122	4.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	100	4
Diabetes mellitus	77	3.1
Alzheimer's disease	68	2.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	63	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	17	0.7

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	210	8.4