Hoosier State Today

There were 259 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Indiana in the week ending May 8, 2021, making up 20.4% of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 8, 2021, there were 1,267 deaths in the state. 20.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.2% were from cancer and 11% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.7% 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)	268	21.2
Heart disease	259	20.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	79	6.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	79	6.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	66	5.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	60	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	37	2.9
Diabetes mellitus	35	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	31	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	15	1.2

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	98	7.7