Volunteer State News

There were 20 deaths from nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis reported in Tennessee in the week ending Nov. 5, making up 1.2% of total deaths by all causes in Tennessee, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 5, there were 1,642 deaths in the state. 21.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.3% were from cancer and 5.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.9% 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	355	21.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	301	18.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	98	6
Cerebrovascular diseases	80	4.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	61	3.7
Alzheimer's disease	44	2.7
Diabetes mellitus	41	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	37	2.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	36	2.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	20	1.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	130	7.9