There were 61 deaths with influenza and pneumonia listed as the underlying cause reported in Texas during the week ending Oct. 29, 2022, a 29.8% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Oct. 29, 2022, there were 4,218 deaths in the state. 21.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.8% were from cancer and 2.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.5% 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	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 29, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 22, 2022
Heart disease	908	940
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	834	851
Cerebrovascular diseases	227	248
Alzheimer's disease	212	206
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	180	184
Diabetes mellitus	147	132
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	92	93
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	73	99
Influenza and pneumonia	61	47
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	48	63

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 29, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 22, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	441	426