Big Sky Times

There were 11 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Montana in the week ending July 22, making up five% of total deaths by all causes in Montana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 22, there were 218 deaths in the state. 24.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 22.5% were from cancer Additionally, 8.7% 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
Heart disease	53	24.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	49	22.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	12	5.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	11	5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.6
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.6
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 4.6
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	19	8.7