Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. More young adults binge-drinking well into their 20s

More young men and women are binge-drinking into their mid- and late-20s today than a generation ago, increasing their risk of accidental injuries, deaths and a variety of chronic illnesses, researchers say. Historically, binge drinking among both men and women has tended to increase from age 18 through the early 20s then subside afterwards, the authors of a recent study note in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Paramedics not washing their hands nearly enough

Hand hygiene compliance among paramedics may be "remarkably low," according to a study that monitored ambulance workers in Scandinavia and Australia over six months. Paramedics tended to wash their hands more often after handling patients than before, and to rely on gloves too much, which suggests they're thinking more of their own infection risk than of the patient's risk, the study authors note in the Emergency Medicine Journal. Nearly 1,000 Madagascar children dead of measles since October - WHO

At least 922 children and young adults have died of measles in Madagascar since October, despite a huge emergency vaccination program, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. The number of deaths is based on official numbers, but these are likely to be very incomplete, as is the current total of infections, at 66,000, Dr. Katrina Kretsinger of WHO's expanded program on immunization told a news briefing. Bayer stresses drug's tolerability in bid for prostate cancer market

Bayer is banking on the mild side effects of its experimental prostate cancer drug darolutamide, as it prepares to take on established rival products by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. The drug, tested on early stage prostate cancer that does not respond to hormonal therapy, was shown to be safe to use with only fatigue as the most serious side effect, Bayer said on Thursday, citing a phase-three study that could be decisive for regulatory approval. Turkey's pharmacists struggling to obtain medicines: association

Turkey's pharmacists are struggling to obtain medicines as suppliers wait for the implementation of a new euro-to-lira exchange rate used in setting drug prices, the Turkish Pharmacists' Association said on Thursday. Turkey's health minister said the ministry would increase the euro-to-lira exchange rate by 26.4 percent from last year's 2.6934. The lira was trading at 5.9901 to the euro at 1005 GMT. Merck to further study Keytruda in prostate cancer after early success

Merck & Co Inc said on Thursday it was launching three late-stage studies for its cancer immunotherapy Keytruda as a combination treatment for prostate cancer after the drug showed anti-tumor activity in an early-stage trial. The interim findings of the trial testing Keytruda in combination with other cancer drugs such as Lynparza, which it jointly develops and sells with AstraZeneca, and chemotherapy docetaxel showed anti-tumor activity, Merck said. Precious antibiotics still being used to boost animal growth: OIE

Farmers in 45 countries still use antibiotics to boost animal growth, despite warnings from health experts and bans on the practice in many parts of the world, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Thursday. Of 155 countries that reported data for 2015 to 2017 in an OIE update on use of drugs in livestock farming, 45 said antibiotics were given to animals to prevent infections and fatten them up. Among those, 12 countries said a "last resort" drug known as colistin is still being used as a growth promoter. Breast-density notification letters may be too dense

Post-mammogram form letters telling women about dense breasts may be more confusing than helpful if they are difficult to read and understand, researchers say. Thirty U.S. states require providers to send letters to patients explaining that so-called dense breasts - which have more breast tissue and less fat - make mammograms harder to read, which increases chances that a cancer could be missed. Having dense breasts also raises the risk of developing breast cancer, the study team notes in Journal of the American College of Radiology. Singapore police say American accused of leaking HIV data 'pathological liar'

Singapore police said on Wednesday a U.S. citizen accused of leaking the names of more than 14,000 HIV-positive people was "a pathological liar", in a case that has raised concern over data privacy in the city-state. Singapore deported Mikhy Farrera Brochez last year after convicting him of numerous drug-related and fraud offences, including lying about his own HIV status. Delayed newborn baths tied to higher breastfeeding rates

Newborns who don't get baths right away may be more likely to be exclusively breastfed than infants who get whisked away to be washed soon after delivery, a U.S. study suggests. Pediatricians recommend that mothers exclusively breastfeed infants until at least 6 months of age because it can reduce babies' risk of ear and respiratory infections, sudden infant death syndrome, allergies, childhood obesity and diabetes. While breast milk itself is linked to many of these health benefits, so is the skin-to-skin contact that happens when babies nurse.