Ocean State Today

There were 11 deaths with cerebrovascular disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Rhode Island during the week ending Sept. 24, 2022, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 24, 2022, there were 185 deaths in the state. 21.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20% were from cancer and less than 5.4% 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	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 24, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 17, 2022
Heart disease	39	44
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	37	42
Diabetes mellitus	11	< 10
Cerebrovascular diseases	11	< 10
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 10
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 10
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 24, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 17, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	19	24