Minnesota State Wire

There were 33 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Minnesota in the week ending July 29, 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 July 29, there were 788 deaths in the state. 17.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 26.9% were from cancer and less than 1.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12.6% 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)	212	26.9
Heart disease	140	17.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	45	5.7
Alzheimer's disease	40	5.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	33	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	22	2.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	99	12.6