Hoosier State Today

There were 96 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Indiana in the week ending August 14, making up 6.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 14, there were 1,398 deaths in the state. 19.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.6 percent were from cancer and 14.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.4 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	273	19.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	260	18.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	107	7.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	99	7.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	96	6.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	60	4.3
Diabetes mellitus	56	4
Alzheimer's disease	39	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	34	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	13	0.9

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	103	7.4