Sooner State News

There were 16 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Oklahoma in the week ending Aug. 5, making up 2.4% of total deaths by all causes in Oklahoma, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Aug. 5, there were 680 deaths in the state. 27.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.1% were from cancer and less than 1.5% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9% 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	185	27.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	130	19.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	51	7.5
Alzheimer's disease	27	4
Cerebrovascular diseases	17	2.5
Diabetes mellitus	16	2.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.5

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	61	9