Hawkeye Reporter

There were 29 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Iowa in the week ending May 15, 2021, making up 5.3% of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 15, 2021, there were 548 deaths in the state. 21.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 21.7% were from cancer and 9.7% were from COVID-19. 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	119	21.7
Heart disease	118	21.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	30	5.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	29	5.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	23	4.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	21	3.8
Alzheimer's disease	15	2.7
Diabetes mellitus	14	2.6
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.8

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	46	8.4