The Sconi

There were 152 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Wisconsin in the week ending Feb. 5, making up 18.7 percent of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Feb. 5, there were 812 deaths in the state. 18.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.1 percent were from cancer and 30.3 percent were from COVID-19.

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	152	18.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	142	17.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	131	16.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	104	12.8
Alzheimer's disease	46	5.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	45	5.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	34	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	16	2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	11	1.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2