Sunflower State News

There were 12 deaths with nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis listed as the underlying cause reported in Kansas during the week ending Sept. 10, 2022, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Sept. 10, 2022, there were 509 deaths in the state. 18.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 18.5% were from cancer and 5.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.8% 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 Sept. 10, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 3, 2022
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	94	117
Heart disease	94	111
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	26	23
Alzheimer's disease	19	24
Cerebrovascular diseases	19	19
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	15	26
Diabetes mellitus	14	15
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	12	< 10
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	11	21
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 10, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending Sept. 3, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	55	58