Gem State Wire

There were 10 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Idaho during the week ending November 6, an increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending November 6, there were 425 deaths in the state. 15.3 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.3 percent were from cancer and 44.9 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.1 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	Number of Deaths 2021-11-06	Number of Deaths 2021-10-30
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	100	135
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	91	129
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	65	45
Heart disease	65	75
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	19	18
Alzheimer's disease	15	21
Cerebrovascular diseases	15	18
Diabetes mellitus	10	< 10
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths 2021-11-06	Number of Deaths 2021-10-30
Alzheimer disease and dementia	30	38