Centennial State News

There were 48 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Colorado in the week ending June 12, making up 5.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 12, there were 878 deaths in the state. 15.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.6 percent were from cancer and 10 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.4 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	163	18.6
Heart disease	139	15.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	48	5.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	41	4.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	40	4.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	35	4
Alzheimer's disease	33	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	17	1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	1.1
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	74	8.4