Show-Me State Times

There were 48 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending May 29, 2021, a 29.4% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, 2021, there were 1,137 deaths in the state. 23.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21% were from cancer and 5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8% 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 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Heart disease	270	288
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	239	235
Cerebrovascular diseases	49	54
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	48	68
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	38	20
Diabetes mellitus	37	23
Alzheimer's disease	34	47
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	31	44
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	26	39
Influenza and pneumonia	13	12

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	91	86