Hoosier State Today

There were 81 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Indiana in the week ending Nov. 12, making up 6.2% of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 12, there were 1,297 deaths in the state. 22.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.2% were from cancer and 7.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.9% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	292	22.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	262	20.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	81	6.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	66	5.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	53	4.1
Diabetes mellitus	49	3.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	44	3.4
Alzheimer's disease	35	2.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	18	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	17	1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	129	9.9