Centennial State News

There were 42 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Colorado in the week ending Dec. 24, making up six% of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 24, there were 699 deaths in the state. 16.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.6% were from cancer and 7.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 14.2% 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)	130	18.6
Heart disease	117	16.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	42	6
Cerebrovascular diseases	39	5.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	33	4.7
Alzheimer's disease	32	4.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	18	2.6
Influenza and pneumonia	14	2
Diabetes mellitus	13	1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.4

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	99	14.2