Hoosier State Today

There were 61 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Indiana in the week ending Aug. 5, making up 5.7% of total deaths by all causes in Indiana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 5, there were 1,078 deaths in the state. 21.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.9% were from cancer and less than 0.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.6% 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)	247	22.9
Heart disease	227	21.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	61	5.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	61	5.7
Diabetes mellitus	47	4.4
Alzheimer's disease	31	2.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	28	2.6
Influenza and pneumonia	17	1.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 0.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 0.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	93	8.6