Constitution State News

There were 10 deaths with influenza and pneumonia listed as the underlying cause reported in Connecticut during the week ending May 29, 2021, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, 2021, there were 582 deaths in the state. 21.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.8% were from cancer and 5.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.8% 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	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Heart disease	127	101
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	115	116
Alzheimer's disease	22	15
Cerebrovascular diseases	20	22
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	16	19
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	16	12
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	16	12
Diabetes mellitus	14	12
Influenza and pneumonia	10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	63	52