Gem State Wire

There were less than 10 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Idaho in the week ending Sept. 17, 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 Sept. 17, there were 228 deaths in the state. 25.9% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.2% were from cancer and 6.1% 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
Heart disease	59	25.9
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	46	20.2
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	15	6.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	14	6.1
Alzheimer's disease	11	4.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	10	4.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 4.4
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.4