DRUG companies were accused yesterday of conning the public by hyping up patented medicines with little new to offer while downplaying their side-effects.

An obese woman and her eight-month-old foetus died of complications 18 months after a stomach-stapling operation – an apparent first that has prompted warnings about the risks of pregnancy soon after such surgery.

USING a vacuum to help deliver a child is as safe as using a forceps during difficult deliveries, new research indicates.

A DRUG which lowers “bad” cholesterol and raises “good” cholesterol could help prevent millions of heart attacks every year, researchers revealed yesterday.