Minnesota State Wire

There were 39 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Minnesota in the week ending July 22, making up 4.8% of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 808 deaths in the state. 18.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.6% were from cancer and 1.4% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.1% 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)	191	23.6
Heart disease	149	18.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	50	6.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	39	4.8
Alzheimer's disease	32	4
Diabetes mellitus	24	3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	12	1.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	11	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	90	11.1