Show-Me State Times

There were 34 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Missouri during the week ending Nov. 12, 2022, a 13.3% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 12, 2022, there were 1,270 deaths in the state. 25.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.1% were from cancer and 5.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.2% 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 Nov. 12, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Nov. 5, 2022
Heart disease	323	273
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	255	290
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	71	79
Alzheimer's disease	60	56
Cerebrovascular diseases	60	55
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	42	42
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	38	51
Diabetes mellitus	34	30
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	27	32
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	18

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Nov. 12, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Nov. 5, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	129	134