Hoosier State Today

There were 83 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Indiana in the week ending May 22, making up 6.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 22, there were 1,286 deaths in the state. 20.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.9 percent were from cancer and 11.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.7 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	268	20.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	256	19.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	83	6.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	73	5.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	68	5.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	67	5.2
Diabetes mellitus	47	3.7
Alzheimer's disease	47	3.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	17	1.3
Influenza and pneumonia	13	1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	125	9.7