Bay State News

There were 27 deaths from Alzheimer's disease reported in Massachusetts in the week ending May 29, making up 2.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Massachusetts, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 1,068 deaths in the state. 19.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.6 percent were from cancer and 5.4 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.2 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	231	21.6
Heart disease	205	19.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	47	4.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	3.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	32	3
Alzheimer's disease	27	2.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	26	2.4
Diabetes mellitus	22	2.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	19	1.8
Influenza and pneumonia	15	1.4

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	120	11.2