Pelican State News

There were less than 10 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Louisiana during the week ending April 2, 2022, a decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 2, 2022, there were 420 deaths in the state. 25.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 24.3% were from cancer and 3.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.8% 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 April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Heart disease	108	126
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	102	112
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	26	34
Cerebrovascular diseases	22	35
Alzheimer's disease	21	24
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	15	12
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	15
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	23
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	37	52