Gem State Wire

There were 37 deaths from diseases of the heart reported in Idaho in the week ending Oct. 1, making up 19.2% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Oct. 1, there were 193 deaths in the state. 19.2% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.2% were from cancer and less than 5.2% 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)	39	20.2
Heart disease	37	19.2
Alzheimer's disease	16	8.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	13	6.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	12	6.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 5.2
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 5.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 5.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 5.2
Influenza and pneumonia	0	0