Hoosier State Today

There were 81 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Indiana in the week ending Dec. 24, making up 7.5% of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 24, there were 1,076 deaths in the state. 21.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.6% were from cancer and 12.2% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 13.5% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	232	21.6
Heart disease	230	21.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	81	7.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	76	7.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	55	5.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	51	4.7
Influenza and pneumonia	36	3.3
Diabetes mellitus	34	3.2
Alzheimer's disease	34	3.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	23	2.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	145	13.5