Constitution State News

There were less than 10 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Connecticut during the week ending June 26, a decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 26, there were 340 deaths in the state. 18.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease and 25.3 percent were from cancer Additionally, 11.8 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	Number of Deaths 2021-06-26	Number of Deaths 2021-06-19
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	86	97
Heart disease	64	72
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	14
Cerebrovascular diseases	17	21
Alzheimer's disease	10	< 10
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	13
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths 2021-06-26	Number of Deaths 2021-06-19
Alzheimer disease and dementia	40	44