Big Sky Times

There were less than 10 deaths from nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis reported in Montana in the week ending July 31, making up less than 4 percent of total deaths by all causes in Montana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 31, there were 253 deaths in the state. 22.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.4 percent were from cancer and 11.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.3 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	57	22.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	49	19.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	17	6.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	13	5.1
Diabetes mellitus	10	4
Alzheimer's disease	10	4
Cerebrovascular diseases	10	4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 4

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	26	10.3