The focus of the upcoming international neurology congress, starting on Wednesday at Festspielhaus Bregenz, is climate change. Experts will discuss new ways to diagnose and treat various diseases such as stroke, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. Philipp Werner, the conference president and primary at Rankweil state hospital, explains that climate change affects stroke, as rising temperatures can cause a process leading to blood clots, potentially triggering strokes. Allergies and inflammations are also becoming more common. With medicine evolving rapidly, Daniela Penz-Wallnöfer, senior physician in neurology at the state hospital Feldkirch, notes that diseases like multiple sclerosis can now be treated more effectively. Stroke remains an important topic in neurology, with every fourth person in Vorarlberg affected. The congress, taking place until Thursday, will be the first international neurologist congress to be held in Vorarlberg.
An international neurology congress begins on Wednesday in the Festspielhaus Bregenz. Hundreds of experts will discuss new methods for diagnosing and treating diseases such as stroke, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. The main topic, however, is what one would not expect, climate change.
Climate change is at the center of the large neurologists’ congress, says conference president and primary at the Rankweil state hospital, Philipp Werner from the Rankweil state hospital. “Climate change also has an impact on stroke. The heat alone, which slowly increases, can cause a process in the body that can lead to blood clots, which in turn trigger strokes. Allergies and inflammations in the body are also becoming more common,” explains Werner.
Congress of Neurologists
The Festspielhaus in Bregenz will become a medical hotspot tomorrow. Specialists from all over the world come together at the Austrian Neurologists Congress.
Medicine is evolving rapidly
The best-known nerve diseases that neurology deals with are stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) or headaches and dizziness. Medicine is developing rapidly. “Twenty to thirty years ago, multiple sclerosis could only be treated with cortisone. In the last ten to 15 years, drugs have been developed that can be used to bring the disease to a virtual standstill,” explains Daniela Penz-Wallnöfer, senior physician in neurology at the state hospital Feldkirch.
The first stroke always comes later
Stroke is an important topic in neurology. Every fourth person in Vorarlberg is affected, more than by a heart attack. “In Vorarlberg, we can see from the numbers that serious strokes are falling by up to ten percent,” says Werner. This is also due to a new treatment method, the so-called catheter removal. A catheter is inserted into the brain and blood clots are removed from the brain with millimeter-sized catheters. This will restore blood flow.
“We can prove that statistically the first stroke in Vorarlberg occurs four years later than ten or 15 years ago,” says Werner.
Congress lasts until Thursday
The international neurologist congress, which is taking place in Vorarlberg for the first time, lasts until Thursday.
In conclusion, the international neurology congress held in Bregenz brought to light the unexpected and severe impact of climate change on various neurological diseases such as stroke, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. The experts came together to discuss new methods of diagnosing and treating these diseases, emphasizing the rapid evolution of medicine. With the new treatment method of catheter removal, serious strokes in Vorarlberg have fallen significantly. As the congress ends, it is evident that there needs to be a deeper understanding of the connection between climate change and the rise in neurological disorders to combat the adverse effects successfully.