Natural State News

There were 211 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Arkansas in the week ending August 21, making up 24.9 percent of total deaths by all causes in Arkansas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending August 21, there were 847 deaths in the state. 19.6 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 13 percent were from cancer and 51.6 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 6.6 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)	226	26.7
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	211	24.9
Heart disease	166	19.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	110	13
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	45	5.3
Alzheimer's disease	38	4.5
Diabetes mellitus	22	2.6
Cerebrovascular diseases	22	2.6
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	10	1.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.2

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	56	6.6