Gem State Wire

There were 11 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Idaho in the week ending July 8, making up 3.4% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 8, there were 319 deaths in the state. 18.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.7% were from cancer and less than 3.1% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.4% 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
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	63	19.7
Heart disease	59	18.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	23	7.2
Alzheimer's disease	16	5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	16	5
Diabetes mellitus	11	3.4
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 3.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 3.1
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 3.1
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 3.1

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	30	9.4