Hoosier State Today

There were 16 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Indiana in the week ending May 15, making up 1.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 15, there were 1,246 deaths in the state. 22.3 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.5 percent were from cancer and 11.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.5 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	278	22.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	255	20.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	81	6.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	67	5.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	64	5.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	63	5.1
Diabetes mellitus	50	4
Alzheimer's disease	28	2.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	25	2
Influenza and pneumonia	16	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	94	7.5