Hoosier State Today

There were 17 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Indiana in the week ending August 21, making up 1.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 1,460 deaths in the state. 18.6 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.5 percent were from cancer and 21.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.7 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	285	19.5
Heart disease	272	18.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	165	11.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	155	10.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	90	6.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	67	4.6
Diabetes mellitus	46	3.2
Alzheimer's disease	41	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	24	1.6
Influenza and pneumonia	17	1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	112	7.7