The Sconi

There were 38 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Wisconsin in the week ending May 8, 2021, making up 3.7% of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 8, 2021, there were 1,016 deaths in the state. 21.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19% were from cancer and 6.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	220	21.7
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	193	19
Alzheimer's disease	44	4.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	42	4.1
Diabetes mellitus	38	3.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	38	3.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	37	3.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	28	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	13	1.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	102	10