Show-Me State Times

There were 68 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Missouri in the week ending July 8, making up 5.9% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 8, there were 1,146 deaths in the state. 21.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.2% were from cancer and less than 0.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.5% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	277	24.2
Heart disease	250	21.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	68	5.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	50	4.4
Alzheimer's disease	43	3.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	33	2.9
Diabetes mellitus	25	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	11	1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 0.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	97	8.5