Show-Me State Times

There were 70 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending June 11, 2022, a 6.7% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 11, 2022, there were 963 deaths in the state. 25.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.1% were from cancer and 3.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.7% 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 11, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending June 4, 2022
Heart disease	243	258
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	222	270
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	70	75
Cerebrovascular diseases	53	48
Alzheimer's disease	37	35
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	30	41
Diabetes mellitus	25	29
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	21	23
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	16	12
Influenza and pneumonia	15	14

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending June 11, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending June 4, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	84	92