Hawkeye Reporter

There were 25 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Iowa in the week ending July 15, making up 4.8% of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 15, there were 526 deaths in the state. 25.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease and 20.2% were from cancer Additionally, 8.4% 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	134	25.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	106	20.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	25	4.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	22	4.2
Alzheimer's disease	19	3.6
Diabetes mellitus	13	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	44	8.4