Buckeye Reporter

There were 84 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Ohio during the week ending April 2, 2022, a 3.4% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 2, 2022, there were 1,584 deaths in the state. 19.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.9% were from cancer and 6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.5% 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 April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	315	300
Heart disease	315	367
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	84	87
Cerebrovascular diseases	74	91
Alzheimer's disease	67	81
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	60	71
Diabetes mellitus	46	58
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	35	53
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	23	40
Influenza and pneumonia	12	17

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	151	182