Silver State Times

There were 12 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Nevada in the week ending July 29, making up 2.7% of total deaths by all causes in Nevada, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 29, there were 450 deaths in the state. 20.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.2% were from cancer and less than 2.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.4% 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	92	20.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	91	20.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	29	6.4
Diabetes mellitus	14	3.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	12	2.7
Alzheimer's disease	11	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 2.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 2.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	38	8.4