There were 176 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Texas in the week ending June 24, making up four% of total deaths by all causes in Texas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 24, there were 4,362 deaths in the state. 22.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.8% were from cancer and 1.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.5% 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	969	22.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	865	19.8
Alzheimer's disease	207	4.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	205	4.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	176	4
Diabetes mellitus	135	3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	105	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	42	1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	34	0.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	22	0.5

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	414	9.5