Constitution State News

There were 121 deaths with heart disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Connecticut during the week ending June 17, a 0.8% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 17, there were 559 deaths in the state. 21.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 20% were from cancer Additionally, 10% 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 June 17	Deaths in Week Ending June 10
Heart disease	121	122
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	112	127
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	25	21
Cerebrovascular diseases	25	25
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	17	10
Alzheimer's disease	12	14
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	15
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	16
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending June 17	Deaths in Week Ending June 10
Alzheimer disease and dementia	56	51