Hoosier State Today

There were 44 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Indiana in the week ending June 12, making up 3.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 12, there were 1,259 deaths in the state. 18.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23 percent were from cancer and 7.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.3 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	290	23
Heart disease	237	18.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	72	5.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	57	4.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	56	4.4
Diabetes mellitus	53	4.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	44	3.5
Alzheimer's disease	35	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	21	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	16	1.3

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	105	8.3