Minnesota State Wire

There were 128 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Minnesota in the week ending June 19, 2021, making up 15.4% of total deaths by all causes in Minnesota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 19, 2021, there were 833 deaths in the state. 15.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.4% were from cancer and 4.9% 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)	203	24.4
Heart disease	128	15.4
Alzheimer's disease	31	3.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	31	3.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	30	3.6
Diabetes mellitus	27	3.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	26	3.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	15	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	84	10.1