Natural State News

There were 17 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Arkansas in the week ending May 8, making up 2.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in Arkansas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 8, there were 693 deaths in the state. 24.4 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 16.7 percent were from cancer and 5.6 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 7.9 percent 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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	169	24.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	116	16.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	47	6.8
Cerebrovascular diseases	36	5.2
Diabetes mellitus	32	4.6
Alzheimer's disease	26	3.8
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	22	3.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	17	2.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	13	1.9
Influenza and pneumonia	12	1.7

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	55	7.9