Garden State Times

There were 27 deaths from nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis reported in New Jersey in the week ending July 17, making up 2.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in New Jersey, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 17, there were 1,293 deaths in the state. 23.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.4 percent were from cancer and 4.2 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.5 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	307	23.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	264	20.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	65	5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	54	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	37	2.9
Alzheimer's disease	34	2.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	31	2.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	2.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	23	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	17	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	110	8.5