Centennial State News

There were 42 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Colorado in the week ending June 17, making up 5.5% of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 17, there were 757 deaths in the state. 15.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.1% were from cancer and less than 1.3% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12.2% 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)	137	18.1
Heart disease	118	15.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	43	5.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	42	5.5
Alzheimer's disease	37	4.9
Diabetes mellitus	25	3.3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	1.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	92	12.2