The Sconi

There were 20 deaths with nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis listed as the underlying cause reported in Wisconsin during the week ending Oct. 8, 2022, a 81.8% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Oct. 8, 2022, there were 1,144 deaths in the state. 19.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.5% were from cancer and 4.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.8% 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 Oct. 8, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 1, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	234	230
Heart disease	225	235
Cerebrovascular diseases	62	49
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	52	56
Alzheimer's disease	51	50
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	33	40
Diabetes mellitus	30	27
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	23	24
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	20	11
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 8, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Oct. 1, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	112	121