The Sconi

There were 15 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Wisconsin during the week ending March 12, a 11.8% decrease from the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending March 12, there were 727 deaths in the state. 21.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21% were from cancer and 7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11% 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 March 12	Deaths in Week Ending March 5
Heart disease	154	180
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	153	194
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	43	34
Cerebrovascular diseases	34	36
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	31	39
Alzheimer's disease	25	38
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	20	28
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	15	10
Diabetes mellitus	15	17
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending March 12	Deaths in Week Ending March 5
Alzheimer disease and dementia	80	86