Last Frontier News

There were less than 10 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Alaska in the week ending June 18, making up less than 34.5% of total deaths by all causes in Alaska, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending June 18, there were 29 deaths in the state. Less than 34.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, less than 34.5% were from cancer and less than 34.5% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 34.5
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 34.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 34.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 34.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 34.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	< 10	< 34.5
Heart disease	< 10	< 34.5
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
Cerebrovascular diseases	0	0