Natural State News

There were 61 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in Arkansas in the week ending July 10, making up nine percent of total deaths by all causes in Arkansas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 10, there were 678 deaths in the state. 23.3 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.3 percent were from cancer and 17.3 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 5.9 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	158	23.3
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	117	17.3
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	61	9
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	56	8.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	34	5
Cerebrovascular diseases	32	4.7
Diabetes mellitus	31	4.6
Alzheimer's disease	19	2.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	17	2.5
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.5

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	40	5.9