Hawkeye Reporter

There were 76 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Iowa in the week ending Jan. 8, making up 16.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Jan. 8, there were 451 deaths in the state. 24.6 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.4 percent were from cancer and 34.8 percent were from COVID-19.

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	111	24.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	81	18
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	76	16.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	74	16.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	27	6
Alzheimer's disease	18	4
Cerebrovascular diseases	16	3.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 2.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 2.2