Show-Me State Times

There were 17 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending Sept. 3, 2022, a 48.5% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 3, 2022, there were 1,043 deaths in the state. 20.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.2% were from cancer and 8.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.5% 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 Sept. 3, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 27, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	242	237
Heart disease	212	262
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	71	56
Cerebrovascular diseases	52	64
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	50	57
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	37	40
Alzheimer's disease	35	44
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	43
Diabetes mellitus	17	33
Influenza and pneumonia	16	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 3, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Aug. 27, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	99	94