Show-Me State Times

There were 23 deaths from Alzheimer's disease reported in Missouri in the week ending Jan. 15, making up 2.6 percent of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Jan. 15, there were 881 deaths in the state. 18.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 13.8 percent were from cancer and 56 percent were from COVID-19.

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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	253	28.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	240	27.2
Heart disease	162	18.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	122	13.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	50	5.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	34	3.9
Diabetes mellitus	25	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	24	2.7
Alzheimer's disease	23	2.6
Influenza and pneumonia	12	1.4