Last Frontier News

There were less than 10 deaths from Alzheimer's disease reported in Alaska in the week ending Nov. 5, making up less than 13.7% of total deaths by all causes in Alaska, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Nov. 5, there were 73 deaths in the state. 13.7% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 19.2% were from cancer

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)	14	19.2
Heart disease	10	13.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 13.7
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 13.7
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 13.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 13.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 13.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 13.7
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0