Keystone Today

There were 55 deaths with nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis listed as the underlying cause reported in Pennsylvania during the week ending Aug. 27, 2022, a 5.2% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 27, 2022, there were 2,546 deaths in the state. 20.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22% were from cancer and 7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9% 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 Aug. 27, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 20, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	559	566
Heart disease	522	547
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	116	122
Cerebrovascular diseases	115	127
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	108	110
Diabetes mellitus	74	55
Alzheimer's disease	71	57
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	63	83
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	55	58
Influenza and pneumonia	21	21

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 27, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 20, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	228	209