Minnesota State Wire

There were 45 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Minnesota in the week ending May 15, 2021, making up 4.9% of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 15, 2021, there were 920 deaths in the state. 15.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.2% were from cancer and 13.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.1% 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)	213	23.2
Heart disease	144	15.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	70	7.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	55	6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	45	4.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	41	4.5
Diabetes mellitus	38	4.1
Alzheimer's disease	36	3.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	17	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	93	10.1