Cornhusker State News

There were 14 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Nebraska during the week ending May 29, 2021, a 7.7% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, 2021, there were 320 deaths in the state. 18.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.8% were from cancer and less than 3.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10% 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	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	76	73
Heart disease	59	64
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	17	20
Diabetes mellitus	14	13
Alzheimer's disease	13	< 10
Cerebrovascular diseases	13	14
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	< 10
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	10
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	15

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending May 29, 2021	Deaths in Week Ending May 22, 2021
Alzheimer disease and dementia	32	26