Hawkeye Reporter

There were 26 deaths from Alzheimer's disease reported in Iowa in the week ending August 7, making up 4.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 7, there were 598 deaths in the state. 24.6 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.4 percent were from cancer and 7.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.2 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	147	24.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	116	19.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	33	5.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	28	4.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	27	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	26	4.3
Diabetes mellitus	22	3.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	20	3.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.7

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	61	10.2