Show-Me State Times

There were 297 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Missouri in the week ending Dec. 3, making up 23% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 3, there were 1,289 deaths in the state. 23% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.2% were from cancer and 5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.9% 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	297	23
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	286	22.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	75	5.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	60	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	57	4.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	41	3.2
Influenza and pneumonia	39	3
Diabetes mellitus	31	2.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	2.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	24	1.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	128	9.9