Maryland State Wire

There were 60 deaths from cerebrovascular diseases reported in Maryland in the week ending May 29, making up 5.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in Maryland, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 1,025 deaths in the state. 21.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.8 percent were from cancer and 11 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.6 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	216	21.1
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	213	20.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	62	6
Cerebrovascular diseases	60	5.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	51	5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	39	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	33	3.2
Alzheimer's disease	21	2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	20	2
Influenza and pneumonia	10	1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	78	7.6