Natural State News

There were 51 deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases reported in Arkansas in the week ending August 7, making up 5.7 percent of total deaths by all causes in Arkansas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 7, there were 893 deaths in the state. 17.8 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.7 percent were from cancer and 41 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.9 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
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	189	21.2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	177	19.8
Heart disease	159	17.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	140	15.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	51	5.7
Alzheimer's disease	37	4.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	35	3.9
Diabetes mellitus	34	3.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	27	3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.1

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	62	6.9