Hawkeye Reporter

There were 89 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Iowa in the week ending December 25, making up 18.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending December 25, there were 471 deaths in the state. 25.7 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 14.2 percent were from cancer and 36.5 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.2 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	121	25.7
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	89	18.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	83	17.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	67	14.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	26	5.5
Alzheimer's disease	19	4
Cerebrovascular diseases	16	3.4
Diabetes mellitus	12	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	10	2.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	29	6.2