Old Dominion News

There were 160 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Virginia in the week ending January 1, making up 17.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Virginia, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending January 1, there were 923 deaths in the state. 17.3 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.4 percent were from cancer and 28.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 3.3 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	161	17.4
Heart disease	160	17.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	136	14.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	127	13.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	39	4.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	33	3.6
Diabetes mellitus	27	2.9
Alzheimer's disease	25	2.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	22	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	11	1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	30	3.3