Show-Me State Times

There were 148 deaths from cancer reported in Missouri in the week ending Jan. 22, making up 15.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Jan. 22, there were 973 deaths in the state. 18.6 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.2 percent were from cancer and 54.7 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)	278	28.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	254	26.1
Heart disease	181	18.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	148	15.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	53	5.4
Alzheimer's disease	41	4.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	33	3.4
Diabetes mellitus	25	2.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	2
Influenza and pneumonia	14	1.4