Hawkeye Reporter

There were 31 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Iowa in the week ending August 21, making up 4.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 637 deaths in the state. 21.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.1 percent were from cancer and 14.1 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	136	21.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	128	20.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	48	7.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	42	6.6
Alzheimer's disease	34	5.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	31	4.9
Diabetes mellitus	18	2.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	13	2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.6

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	65	10.2