There were 177 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Texas in the week ending Nov. 12, making up 4.1% of total deaths by all causes in Texas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 12, there were 4,327 deaths in the state. 22.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.8% were from cancer and 3.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.3% 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	957	22.1
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	857	19.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	228	5.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	177	4.1
Alzheimer's disease	173	4
Diabetes mellitus	134	3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	105	2.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	81	1.9
Influenza and pneumonia	73	1.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	58	1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	403	9.3