Heat makes you ill, and the brain suffers in particular
Neurological patients need special protection from heat
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It is known that heatwaves promote the development of neurological events such as strokes. In addition, people with neurological diseases such as MS, Parkinson's, migraines or dementia are a particularly vulnerable group; rising temperatures lead to a noticeable worsening of their condition. The German Neurological Society therefore supports the position paper of the German Alliance on Climate Change and Health [1] on the Heat Action Day on June 11, 2026 and calls for the measures listed therein to be implemented in order to effectively protect people with neurological diseases in particular from heat. A personalized "stroke warning app" could be helpful.
Heat is a relevant risk factor for various neurological diseases. The data on stroke in particular is very conclusive: high temperatures and especially very warm nights increase the risk of stroke. A study [2] from Germany showed that the number of heat-related strokes increased significantly with increasing nocturnal heat events, and that mortality from strokes increases during heat waves.
In Parkinson's disease, there is a worsening of motor and non-motor symptoms during heatwaves. A study published in April 2026 [3] showed that extreme heat is associated with an increased rate of Parkinson's-related hospital admissions, particularly in older sufferers. In multiple sclerosis, it is well documented [4] that high ambient temperatures worsen neurological symptoms and promote hospital admissions. The occurrence of delirium, which can be life-threatening in some cases, is frequently observed in dementia patients during heatwaves.
Cool emergency shelters and heat-resistant health and care facilities
"Even if heat is not the cause of disease in dementia, Parkinson's and MS, this data shows the great potential of heat protection measures for secondary prevention. Deaths could be prevented and many hospital stays could be spared for those affected and the healthcare system," explains Prof. Dr. Peter Berlit, Secretary General of the German Neurological Society (DGN). "We therefore expressly support the position paper of the German Climate Change and Health Alliance (KLUG) on crisis resilience in extreme heat." Berlit particularly emphasizes the demand formulated therein to make the health, care and social services sector heat resilient: "Non-air-conditioned neurological rehabilitation and care facilities should be a thing of the past, as should non-air-conditioned clinics, of course. This increases the burden of disease on neurological patients."
The expert also points to the great potential of heat protection for primary and secondary prevention: "Numerous strokes and their recurrence could be avoided altogether". A study published in Nature Communications in January 2026 [5] calculated that stroke mortality in the general population increased by 13.8% in hot weather, and in older people the increase was as high as 16.4%. Christian Thielscher, member of the Young Neurology Group of the DGN and the Neurology Working Group of KLUG and lead author of a groundbreaking current review on stroke prevention [6] also emphasizes: "The risk of stroke is closely linked to climate protection."
Accordingly, the DGN also supports the call outlined in the KLUG position paper to protect particularly vulnerable people from heat and to set up barrier-free, cool emergency shelters. But how can people be warned about heat-related strokes?
The future of primary prevention: personalized, daily "stroke prediction"
The Chinese researchers in the Nature paper [5] developed a "Stroke Heat Risk Prediction Model" and show that such a heat-specific warning system could prevent a significant proportion of heat-related stroke deaths. By using GPS to determine location and evaluating basic personal data such as age, gender, risk factors and medication intake, the tool predicts the heat-related health risks with regard to strokes for the current day and the next seven days. The app also provides tailored recommendations on diet, physical activity, spending time outdoors, temperature regulation at home and medical consultations.
"We believe that such an individualized 'stroke prediction app', if sufficiently validated, could be an effective prevention tool. People who are told by an app on their cell phone that their personal stroke risk is high or even extremely high on a particular day will adapt their behavior to the heat and implement the advice - as opposed to general calls." People often underestimate their own risks, which scientists call optimism bias.
However, the experts also point out that the warning alone is of little use without a heat protection infrastructure: "If those at risk have no opportunity to seek a cool environment, the alert is not effective."
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
Original publication
[2] Cheng He, Susanne Breitner, Siqi Zhang, Veronika Huber, Markus Naumann, Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, Gertrud Hammel, Annette Peters, Michael Ertl, Alexandra Schneider; "Nocturnal heat exposure and stroke risk"; European Heart Journal, Volume 45, 2024-5-21
[3] Claire Dinehart, Scott W. Delaney, Lauren Mock, Brad A. Racette, Gary W. Miller, Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Danielle Braun, Antonella Zanobetti, Daniel Mork; "Extreme heat and hospitalization with Parkinson’s disease among older adults"; Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2026-4-13
[4] Shala-Ghaderi Berntsson, Jacques Reis, Christina Zjukovskaja, Zeliha Tulek, Anna Kristoffersson, Anne-Marie Landtblom; "Climate change impacts the symptomology and healthcare of multiple sclerosis patients through fatigue and heat sensitivity - A systematic review"; Journal of the Neurological Sciences, Volume 474
[6] Jingwei Zhang, Mengxue Zhang, Qinghua Sun, Runmei Ma, Can Zhang, Kailai Lu, Qixuan Dong, Tiantian Li; "Interventional applications of a Stroke Heat Risk Prediction Model produce health benefits"; Nature Communications, Volume 17, 2026-1-27
[6] Christian S. Thielscher, Felipe A. Montellano, Dorothee Saur, Agnes Flöel, Gabor C. Petzold, Karl Georg Haeusler; "Prevention in stroke - Current state, present gaps and probable next steps"; Neurological Research and Practice, Volume 8, 2026-4-22
[1] KLUG. Positionspapier zur Krisenresilienz bei Extremhitze.
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