Constitution State News

There were 117 deaths from cancer reported in Connecticut in the week ending May 29, making up 19.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Connecticut, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 610 deaths in the state. 21.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.2 percent were from cancer and 5.2 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.8 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	133	21.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	117	19.2
Alzheimer's disease	22	3.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	21	3.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	2.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	16	2.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	16	2.6
Diabetes mellitus	14	2.3
Influenza and pneumonia	11	1.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	11	1.8

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	66	10.8