Minnesota State Wire

There were 47 deaths with chronic lower respiratory disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Minnesota during the week ending May 29, 2021, a 46.9% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, 2021, there were 805 deaths in the state. 19.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20% were from cancer and 8.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12% 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	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	161	205
Heart disease	157	136
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	47	32
Alzheimer's disease	43	41
Cerebrovascular diseases	37	41
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	37	47
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	32	34
Diabetes mellitus	23	26
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	97	106