Centennial State News

There were 61 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Colorado in the week ending May 29, making up 7.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 812 deaths in the state. 17.6 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.2 percent were from cancer and 14 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.4 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
Heart disease	143	17.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	140	17.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	61	7.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	53	6.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	48	5.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	44	5.4
Alzheimer's disease	23	2.8
Diabetes mellitus	16	2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	13	1.6
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	60	7.4