Rushmore State News

There were less than 10 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in South Dakota in the week ending Feb. 12, making up less than 90.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in South Dakota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Feb. 12, there were 11 deaths in the state. Less than 90.9 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease and less than 90.9 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 90.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	< 10	< 90.9
Heart disease	< 10	< 90.9
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
Alzheimer's disease	0	0
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	0	0
Cerebrovascular diseases	0	0
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	0	0