Show-Me State Times

There were 75 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Missouri in the week ending June 26, making up 5.6 percent of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 26, there were 1,333 deaths in the state. 22.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.2 percent were from cancer and 12.3 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 5.9 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	296	22.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	269	20.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	85	6.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	79	5.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	75	5.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	71	5.3
Alzheimer's disease	37	2.8
Diabetes mellitus	30	2.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	2
Influenza and pneumonia	21	1.6

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	79	5.9