The Sconi

There were 46 deaths from Alzheimer's disease reported in Wisconsin in the week ending June 12, making up 4.4 percent of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 12, there were 1,047 deaths in the state. 21.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.4 percent were from cancer and 2.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.1 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
Heart disease	227	21.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	203	19.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	54	5.2
Alzheimer's disease	46	4.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	44	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	26	2.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	20	1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	14	1.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	10	1
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	106	10.1