Show-Me State Times

There were 21 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending April 2, 2022, a 40% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 2, 2022, there were 842 deaths in the state. 24.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.9% were from cancer and 5.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.8% 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 April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Heart disease	208	215
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	193	199
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	54	56
Cerebrovascular diseases	38	52
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	29	19
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	28	46
Alzheimer's disease	27	27
Diabetes mellitus	21	35
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	20	39
Influenza and pneumonia	12	20

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	66	79