Gem State Wire

There were 15 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Idaho in the week ending Dec. 3, making up 4.5% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 3, there were 336 deaths in the state. 25% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 13.7% were from cancer and 3.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.2% 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
Heart disease	84	25
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	46	13.7
Alzheimer's disease	21	6.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	15	4.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	12	3.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	10	3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	31	9.2