Centennial State News

There were 17 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Colorado in the week ending July 3, making up two percent of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 3, there were 834 deaths in the state. 17.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.5 percent were from cancer and 9.1 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.6 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	19.5
Heart disease	143	17.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	42	5
Cerebrovascular diseases	39	4.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	34	4.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	33	4
Alzheimer's disease	30	3.6
Diabetes mellitus	17	2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	1.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	72	8.6