Show-Me State Times

There were 231 deaths from cancer reported in Missouri in the week ending July 22, making up 21.5% of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 1,074 deaths in the state. 24.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.5% were from cancer and 0.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.4% 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	263	24.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	231	21.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	63	5.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	51	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	48	4.5
Diabetes mellitus	34	3.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	29	2.7
Influenza and pneumonia	11	1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	10	0.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	112	10.4