Show-Me State Times

There were 12 deaths with influenza and pneumonia listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending May 22, 2021, a 42.9% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 22, 2021, there were 1,170 deaths in the state. 24.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.1% were from cancer and 7.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.4% 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	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 15, 2021
Heart disease	283	276
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	235	267
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	68	50
Cerebrovascular diseases	53	65
Alzheimer's disease	47	43
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	44	51
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	39	40
Diabetes mellitus	23	27
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	20	29
Influenza and pneumonia	12	21

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 15, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	86	94