Aloha State News

There were 10 deaths with Alzheimer's disease listed as the underlying cause reported in Hawaii during the week ending April 16, 2022, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 16, 2022, there were 160 deaths in the state. 18.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 21.3% were from cancer Additionally, 15% 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 April 16, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 9, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	34	37
Heart disease	29	41
Alzheimer's disease	10	< 10
Cerebrovascular diseases	10	12
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 10
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	< 10	< 10
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 16, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending April 9, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	24	22