Buckeye Reporter

There were 143 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Ohio in the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, making up 5.5% of total deaths by all causes in Ohio, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, there were 2,607 deaths in the state. 21.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.7% were from cancer and 7.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.3% 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	551	21.1
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	462	17.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	143	5.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	143	5.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	124	4.8
Alzheimer's disease	110	4.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	81	3.1
Influenza and pneumonia	78	3
Diabetes mellitus	63	2.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	47	1.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	268	10.3