According to new research by Discovery Insure, lack of sleep may be one of the most underestimated threats to road safety.
This study analyzed a four-year dataset on sleep and driving collected from over 10,000 Discovery Insure drivers. This research is one of the largest of its kind conducted in South Africa. The results showed that accumulating sleep debt over several consecutive nights is one of the strongest predictors of the risk of road traffic accidents.
>The CEO of Discovery Insure, Robert Attwell, noted that poor sleep directly affects a person's ability to concentrate, reaction time, and decision-making process—all factors that influence driving behavior. He added that the study suggests that poor sleep can be five times more predictive of accident risk compared to traditional insurance metrics when viewed in isolation.
The study found that chronic sleep deprivation has a greater negative impact on accident risk than a single bad night's sleep. Furthermore, nearly 30% of Discovery Insure drivers accumulate some level of sleep debt while driving, and about half of the total impact of sleep on accident risk is linked to consistent poor sleep rather than isolated incidents.
Drivers who maintained a sleep debt of less than one hour for three consecutive nights had a 36% lower accident risk than those with a sleep debt of five hours or more during the same period. It was also found that drivers who regularly sleep seven to eight hours are 32% less likely to be involved in an accident than those who sleep insufficiently. Moreover, those who go to bed approximately one hour later than their ideal bedtime each night show a 36% reduction in accident risk, and drivers who get sufficient rapid eye movement (REM) sleep have a 14% lower risk.
Discovery stated that many motorists continue to underestimate the danger of driving while fatigued. According to a 2024 survey, almost 90% of adults would say they avoid driving after consuming alcohol, but only half of them would say they would refrain from driving after poor sleep. The insurance company also cited research data indicating that staying awake for more than 16 hours can impair driving to the same extent as reaching or exceeding the legal blood alcohol limit in South Africa, which is 0.05%.
Globally, road traffic accidents claim about 1.19 million lives annually, with driver fatigue estimated to contribute to roughly one in five accidents. In South Africa, road traffic accidents cost the economy approximately 205 billion rand in 2023, equivalent to about 2.7% of GDP. Attwell emphasized that road safety campaigns have traditionally focused on speeding, distracted driving, and drunk driving, but recent findings indicate that fatigued driving deserves equal public attention. He concluded: 'Every safer journey begins the night before. If we can help more South Africans develop healthier sleep habits, we can help more people arrive safely, reduce the burden on families, and contribute to safer roads for everyone.'
The use of medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro requires a differentiated monitoring approach, as proposed by a new international consensus. This document establishes that treatment success must be evaluated by criteria that go beyond merely the number registered on the scale.
Published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, the material gathers comprehensive guidelines covering aspects such as appropriate dosages, dietary habits, physical exercise, and mental health monitoring. Furthermore, it specifies the appropriate times to reduce or discontinue the use of these medications.
This consensus, developed by three European entities, does not change the original indications for the drugs but emphasizes the need to analyze each patient individually. Decisions must be guided by the individual response to the treatment, the presence of associated medical conditions, and tolerance to side effects.
Fernando Valente, who coordinates the Department of Diabetes Education at the Brazilian Society of Diabetes (SBD) and directs the Department of Diabetes at the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM), highlighted this shift in focus. He told G1 that the primary relevance of this first consensus lies in demonstrating that the treatment is not limited only to administering the injection and reducing weight.
Although higher doses remain necessary in certain cases, especially for individuals with significant weight gain, satisfactory results can be achieved with lower doses. This is particularly true when the main objective is managing metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, or sleep apnea.
The consensus clarifies that under certain conditions, reducing the dose, taking a break, or stopping the medication may constitute the best strategy. This choice must always be made in collaboration between the healthcare professional and the patient themselves.
Experts warn about specific signs that require attention, including nausea and persistent vomiting episodes, difficulty maintaining adequate hydration, excessively rapid weight loss, poor nutrient absorption, and any indicators of malnutrition.
Rodrigo Lamounier, director of the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (Abeso) and a member of SBEM, stresses that stopping medication does not necessarily imply therapeutic failure. He explained to G1 that although they are crucial medications, they require caution and personalization according to the evolution and clinical context of each individual.
The document also underlines that accelerated weight loss can lead to an undesirable decrease in muscle mass. To mitigate this risk, the recommendation is to integrate a diet rich in protein with resistance exercises, such as weight training.
Nutritional guidance suggests daily intake of approximately 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per adjusted kilogram of weight, maintaining a minimum of 60 grams distributed throughout meals. If this dietary goal is not met, supplements may be considered after an individualized evaluation.
An additional highlight is the concept of 'food noise,' defined as continuous thoughts about food. These thoughts tend to decrease with the action of the medications in the brain's reward regions.
Fernando Valente reiterated to G1 that the consensus also points to the need to monitor any emotional changes during the treatment process. The final proposal emphasizes that preserving muscle mass, quality of life, and well-being should be as important as weight loss, confirming that obesity management transcends simple measurement on the scale.
The introduction of a new testing method for gels, ointments, and other topical medicinal products within the Eurasian Economic Union may be implemented. This was reported by the Eurasian Economic Commission.
The EEC Expert Committee approved the draft changes to the rules for conducting bioequivalence studies of medicinal products. According to this draft, artificial membranes can be used instead of donor skin when testing gels and ointments.
According to the Commission, this approach is a modern replacement for complex and expensive studies, which allows for the simplification of the testing process and reduction of manufacturers' costs.
Bioequivalence studies are conducted to compare the properties of alternative drugs with an already known medicinal product. Furthermore, the Expert Committee approved documents concerning microbiological monitoring during drug production and the uniform display of active substance names in applications and the unified register.
The Minister of Technical Regulation of the EEC, Alexander Subbotin, announced that an agreement has been reached on the discussed issues. However, the changes have not been finalized yet. It is planned that the projects will be reviewed by the EEC Collegium between August and October.
According to the latest report from the executive branch, based on data collected as of July 17, the number of confirmed cases has reached 2267, and the current mortality rate is 39.4%.
Additionally, 722 patients are in isolation or hospitalization, and 444 people have recovered. The contact tracing percentage has reached 83.6%.
The Ebola epidemic has also spread to neighboring Uganda, but it has been brought under control there. This outbreak is the third deadliest Ebola epidemic ever recorded and the seventeenth to affect the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The current outbreak is smaller in scale than the one that occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, which resulted in approximately 11,000 deaths and 28,000 infections. It is also smaller compared to the outbreak that affected eastern Congo between 2018 and 2020, where 2,299 deaths and 3,481 cases were recorded.
