Hawkeye Reporter

There were 18 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Iowa in the week ending July 8, making up 3.3% of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 8, there were 552 deaths in the state. 27% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.7% were from cancer and less than 1.8% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10.3% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	149	27
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	120	21.7
Alzheimer's disease	27	4.9
Cerebrovascular diseases	25	4.5
Diabetes mellitus	18	3.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	18	3.3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	57	10.3