Show-Me State Times

There were 61 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending April 30, 2022, a 1.6% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 30, 2022, there were 853 deaths in the state. 21.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.5% were from cancer and 1.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10% 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 30, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 23, 2022
Heart disease	186	241
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	183	194
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	61	62
Alzheimer's disease	38	38
Cerebrovascular diseases	36	53
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	29	24
Diabetes mellitus	28	21
Influenza and pneumonia	16	16
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	10	23
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	16

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 30, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 23, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	85	86