Aloha State News

There were less than 10 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Hawaii in the week ending Aug. 5, making up less than 4.2% of total deaths by all causes in Hawaii, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 5, there were 238 deaths in the state. 20.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.7% were from cancer and 4.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.3% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	49	20.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	47	19.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	21	8.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	10	4.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 4.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 4.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	15	6.3