Natural State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause reported in Arkansas in the week ending July 29, making up less than 1.6% of total deaths by all causes in Arkansas, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending July 29, there were 638 deaths in the state. 24.5% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19% were from cancer and less than 1.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 10% 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	156	24.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	121	19
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	33	5.2
Cerebrovascular diseases	32	5
Alzheimer's disease	31	4.9
Diabetes mellitus	24	3.8
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	14	2.2
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.6
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 1.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 1.6

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	64	10