Bluegrass Times

There were 69 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Kentucky in the week ending July 24, making up 7.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Kentucky, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 24, there were 978 deaths in the state. 21.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.6 percent were from cancer and 8.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9 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	212	21.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	172	17.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	69	7.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	47	4.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	47	4.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	38	3.9
Diabetes mellitus	34	3.5
Alzheimer's disease	33	3.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	17	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	88	9