Hoosier State Today

There were 318 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Indiana in the week ending May 29, making up 24.8 percent of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 1,281 deaths in the state. 24.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.6 percent were from cancer and 11.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.1 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	318	24.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	238	18.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	77	6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	77	6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	65	5.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	56	4.4
Alzheimer's disease	35	2.7
Diabetes mellitus	31	2.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	22	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	11	0.9

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	104	8.1