Minnesota State Wire

There were 37 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Minnesota in the week ending June 17, making up 4.2% of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 17, there were 871 deaths in the state. 16.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.4% were from cancer and 1.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.7% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	204	23.4
Heart disease	143	16.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	46	5.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	4.2
Alzheimer's disease	36	4.1
Diabetes mellitus	23	2.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	14	1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	1.1
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	93	10.7