Gem State Wire

There were 12 deaths from diabetes mellitus reported in Idaho in the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, making up 3.5% of total deaths by all causes in Idaho, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 10, 2022, there were 341 deaths in the state. 19.4% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.6% were from cancer and 2.9% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 11.1% 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	66	19.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	60	17.6
Alzheimer's disease	22	6.5
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	21	6.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	16	4.7
Diabetes mellitus	12	3.5
Influenza and pneumonia	11	3.2
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	10	2.9
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 2.9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 2.9

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	38	11.1