Big Sky Times

There were 49 deaths from cancer reported in Montana in the week ending July 15, making up 24.4% of total deaths by all causes in Montana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 15, there were 201 deaths in the state. 22.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 24.4% were from cancer Additionally, 8.5% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	49	24.4
Heart disease	46	22.9
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 5
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 5
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 5
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	17	8.5