The Sconi

There were 26 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Wisconsin in the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, making up 2.2% of total deaths by all causes in Wisconsin, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, there were 1,181 deaths in the state. 21.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.2% were from cancer and 6.4% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.5% 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	253	21.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	215	18.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	60	5.1
Alzheimer's disease	52	4.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	48	4.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	47	4
Influenza and pneumonia	29	2.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	28	2.4
Diabetes mellitus	26	2.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	15	1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	136	11.5