Bluegrass Times

There were 33 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Kentucky in the week ending May 15, making up 3.6 percent of total deaths by all causes in Kentucky, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 15, there were 905 deaths in the state. 19.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.3 percent were from cancer and 9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.8 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)	193	21.3
Heart disease	179	19.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	65	7.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	47	5.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	34	3.8
Diabetes mellitus	33	3.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	29	3.2
Alzheimer's disease	28	3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	18	2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	80	8.8