Green Mountain Times

There were 31 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Vermont in the week ending July 31, making up 27.4 percent of total deaths by all causes in Vermont, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 31, there were 113 deaths in the state. 27.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease and 25.7 percent were from cancer

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
Heart disease	31	27.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	29	25.7
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 8.8
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 8.8
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 8.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 8.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 8.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	0	0