Big Sky Times

There were less than 10 deaths from Alzheimer's disease reported in Montana in the week ending Jan. 29, making up less than 8.2 percent of total deaths by all causes in Montana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Jan. 29, there were 122 deaths in the state. 20.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.3 percent were from cancer and 26.2 percent were from COVID-19.

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)	26	21.3
Heart disease	25	20.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	18	14.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	14	11.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 8.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 8.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 8.2
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 8.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 8.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 8.2