Paracetamol may lead to a sudden death and what is the average size of a penis?

What Charmain Naidoo found interesting in the news today.

1. A new study has found that prolonged use of paracetamol is 63% more likely to result in sudden death for those using the drug. And the risk of a heart attack or a stroke is 58% higher! The Mail Online says that Paracetamol – usually taken to reduce or relieve fever – is considered by doctors to be safer than aspirin, which can cause stomach bleeds, and ibuprofen, which has been linked to heart attacks and strokes. “But British researchers who looked at studies involving 666,000 patients say the risks may have been underestimated and are calling for a major review to be conducted into the drug’s safety,” the website reported.

2. The BBC online reports that Korean researchers have found that drinking a few cups of coffee a day may help people avoid clogged arteries - a known risk factor for heart disease. They studied more than 25,000 male and female employees who underwent routine health checks at their workplace. Employees who drank a moderate amount of coffee - three to five cups a day - were less likely to have early signs of heart disease on their medical scans. This study has rekindled the debate about whether coffee is good for the heart.

3. Beloved British actor Michael Gambon’s announcement that he is to retire has brought a sigh of relief from veteran actress, Dame Maggie Smith, She said she was glad he has given up stage acting because it was “hair raising” working with him when he kept forgetting lines. The 80-year-old actress played Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films and Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore, recently announced his retirement due to anxiety caused by his failing memory. "It was about time he admitted it, because it was hair-raising doing things with him,” The Telegraph reports. “Mind you, I defy anyone to learn Harry Potter-speak. It'd probably be easier for him to learn Shakespeare.”

4. News.com.au reports asks: What is an “average” size for a penis? And answers: “The enduring question now has a scientific answer: 13.12 centimetres in length when erect, and 1.66cm around, according to an analysis of more than 15,000 appendages around the world. In a flaccid state, it found, the penis of the average Joe is all of 9.16cm in length and has a girth of 9.31cm. The numbers should help “reassure the large majority of men that the size of their penis is in the normal range,” said British researchers who had assembled data from studies where participants had their member measured by a professional. The team then used the collated numbers to devise a graph that doctors can use in counselling men with “small penis anxiety”. In the worst cases, men may be diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a debilitating psychological condition that can lead to obsessive and anti-social behaviour, depression and even suicide.” There you have it! It’s official.

5. I was surprised to see that there was such a thing: a stay at home mum. I was wrong. The Mail Online reports that the number of mothers who stay at home has dropped by a third in two decades, and that just one in 10 women (as opposed to 1 in 100 men) stays home to raise a family. And British government officials, chancellor George Osborne among them, want to help this “women in the workforce” trend by extending child care programmes to make it possible.

6. They’re straight out of science fiction, the glasses that are designed to stop facial recognition. If there was any doubt, the Mail Online assures readers that facial detection software is everywhere. “Invisibility glasses, designed by AVG – a software security company – were designed in a bid to help protect people's online identities in the digital age. With the increased use of cell phone cameras in public, the glasses makes it difficult to capture a person's identity in facial recognition software, for example the kind used on Facebook.”

7. The Huffington Post carries a chilling column – How Isis is using marriage as a trap – by Mia Bloom (Professor of Security Studies at the University of Massachusetts and a research fellow at the Centre for Terrorism and Security Studies). She writes: “ISIS has stepped up its social media campaign (especially in English and French) directed at luring young Western women and teens to be their wives. The recruiting and matchmaking is most often spearheaded by women residing in the Islamic State. What many people don't realize is that men within most Arab countries do not have access to women before marriage. For the most part, there is no dating, no premarital sex and no fooling around. But marriage remains a costly endeavour, and most men don't or can't get married until their thirties. In fact, more than 50 percent of men aged 25-29 remain unmarried because of the high cost. This has resulted in all kinds of stop-gap measures that confuse researchers who study gender and sexuality. It appears to have also resulted in more men engaging in same-sex practices.