Show-Me State Times

There were 252 deaths with heart disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending June 4, 2022, a 16.1% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 4, 2022, there were 1,058 deaths in the state. 23.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 25.3% were from cancer and 3.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.5% 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 June 4, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending May 28, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	268	240
Heart disease	252	217
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	75	72
Cerebrovascular diseases	47	56
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	41	29
Alzheimer's disease	33	39
Diabetes mellitus	26	25
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	22	21
Influenza and pneumonia	14	20
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	11	15

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending June 4, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending May 28, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	90	109