Minnesota State Wire

There were 116 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Minnesota in the week ending April 30, making up 21.5% of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 30, there were 539 deaths in the state. 21.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.4% were from cancer and 2.2% were from COVID-19.

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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	126	23.4
Heart disease	116	21.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	32	5.9
Alzheimer's disease	31	5.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	23	4.3
Diabetes mellitus	15	2.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	12	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.9