Show-Me State Times

There were 18 deaths with influenza and pneumonia listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending Oct. 8, 2022, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Oct. 8, 2022, there were 1,279 deaths in the state. 22.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.5% were from cancer and 4.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.1% 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 Oct. 8, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 1, 2022
Heart disease	283	323
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	237	242
Cerebrovascular diseases	75	74
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	60	49
Diabetes mellitus	52	31
Alzheimer's disease	52	43
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	35	52
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	29
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	26	37
Influenza and pneumonia	18	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 8, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 1, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	116	97