Big Sky Times

There were 11 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Montana in the week ending August 7, making up 4.7 percent of total deaths by all causes in Montana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 7, there were 236 deaths in the state. 19.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.2 percent were from cancer and 9.7 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.8 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	50	21.2
Heart disease	45	19.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	7.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	12	5.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	11	4.7
Diabetes mellitus	10	4.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 4.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 4.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	16	6.8