Enchantment State News

There were 18 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in New Mexico during the week ending July 30, 2022, a 5.9% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 30, 2022, there were 340 deaths in the state. 14.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.8% were from cancer and 11.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.2% 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 July 30, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending July 23, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	57	57
Heart disease	50	63
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	23	26
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	18	17
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	17	16
Alzheimer's disease	15	15
Cerebrovascular diseases	15	16
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	< 10
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	15

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending July 30, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending July 23, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	38	29