Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Idaho in the week ending July 23, making up less than 4.4% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 23, there were 228 deaths in the state. 19.3% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 22.8% were from cancer and 4.4% 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	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	52	22.8
Heart disease	44	19.3
Alzheimer's disease	14	6.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	12	5.3
Cerebrovascular diseases	12	5.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	10	4.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.4
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.4
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0