Natural State News

There were 24 deaths with diabetes mellitus listed as the underlying cause reported in Arkansas during the week ending April 2, 2022, a 20% increase over the previous week, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending April 2, 2022, there were 451 deaths in the state. 25.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 15.1% were from cancer and 5.3% 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	Deaths in Week Ending April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Heart disease	113	117
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	68	94
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	29	33
Diabetes mellitus	24	20
Alzheimer's disease	22	21
Cerebrovascular diseases	20	25
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	14	32
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	12	12
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	10	21
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 10

Cause of Death	Deaths in Week Ending April 2, 2022	Deaths in Week Ending March 26, 2022
Alzheimer disease and dementia	45	45