Overview

• Germany records about 270,000 strokes annually, with roughly 66,000 repeat events, according to the Erlanger registry.
• Health guidance stresses that younger adults can be affected, with warning signs including sudden one‑sided weakness or numbness, speech disturbance, acute vision problems, severe new headache, and abrupt dizziness with balance loss.
• If stroke is suspected, call 112 immediately, stay with and reassure the person, avoid giving food or drink, use the recovery position if unconscious, and note the time symptoms began.
• The FAST test helps laypeople spot face droop, arm weakness and speech difficulty before calling for help, and a Schlaganfall‑Hilfe app guides users through the check in German, English or Turkish.
• Specialists report uneven follow‑up care nationwide and urge early scheduling of therapies with family‑doctor coordination, sustained rehabilitation supported by neuroplasticity, strict medication adherence, a Mediterranean diet, and treatment for post‑stroke depression affecting about one third of survivors.