Show-Me State Times

There were 63 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending May 1, 2021, a 5% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, 2021, there were 1,164 deaths in the state. 22.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.3% were from cancer and 9.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 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	Deaths in Week Ending May 1, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending April 24, 2021
Heart disease	259	261
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	248	251
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	63	60
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	58	47
Cerebrovascular diseases	57	68
Alzheimer's disease	50	43
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	50	40
Diabetes mellitus	40	44
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	30	27
Influenza and pneumonia	14	10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 1, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending April 24, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	105	92