Granite State Times

There were 11 deaths with Alzheimer's disease listed as the underlying cause reported in New Hampshire during the week ending August 7, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 7, there were 249 deaths in the state. 18.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease and 22.1 percent were from cancer Additionally, 12 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	Number of Deaths 2021-08-07	Number of Deaths 2021-07-31
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	55	48
Heart disease	46	53
Cerebrovascular diseases	15	< 10
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	14	11
Alzheimer's disease	11	< 10
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	< 10
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths 2021-08-07	Number of Deaths 2021-07-31
Alzheimer disease and dementia	30	24