Centennial State News

There were 43 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Colorado in the week ending May 1, making up 5.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 1, there were 835 deaths in the state. 16.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17 percent were from cancer and 11.4 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.9 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)	142	17
Heart disease	135	16.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	52	6.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	50	6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	48	5.7
Alzheimer's disease	44	5.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	43	5.1
Diabetes mellitus	24	2.9
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	83	9.9