Minnesota State Wire

There were 21 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Minnesota in the week ending August 14, making up 2.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 14, there were 928 deaths in the state. 17.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.3 percent were from cancer and 5.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.6 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	198	21.3
Heart disease	164	17.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	42	4.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	42	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	41	4.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	29	3.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	24	2.6
Diabetes mellitus	21	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	98	10.6