Minnesota State Wire

There were 28 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Minnesota in the week ending June 24, making up 3.2% of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 24, there were 865 deaths in the state. 19.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.6% were from cancer and less than 1.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.4% 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)	178	20.6
Heart disease	172	19.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	50	5.8
Alzheimer's disease	35	4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	28	3.2
Diabetes mellitus	26	3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	12	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	10	1.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	99	11.4