Bioethics & Health News
November 30

November 30, 2005

Partial Face Transplant Done in France

Doctors have performed the world’s first partial face transplant, grafting a nose, lips and chin onto a 38-year-old woman disfigured by a dog bite, hospital officials said Wednesday.
(AP)

Surgical Technique Cuts Islet Cell Transplant Complications

A new surgical procedure dubbed the “sandwich technique” reduces the risk of complications from islet cell transplantation, a procedure to help diabetics who don’t produce enough insulin.
(HealthDay)

Patterns: Research Finds Twins to Be the Slower Siblings

Researchers in Scotland have found that twins have substantially lower I.Q.’s than their singleton siblings, based on a sampling of more than 10,000 Scottish children born in the 1950’s
(New York Times)

Links Between Depression, Heart Disease Get Clearer

Missed medications and elevated stress hormone levels may help explain the link between depression and poor outcomes in coronary heart disease patients, suggest two new studies.
(HealthDay)

Head over heels? Alas, it won’t last

Your heartbeat accelerates, you have butterflies in the stomach, you feel euphoric and a bit silly. It’s all part of falling passionately in love—and scientists now tell us the feeling won’t last more than a year.
(Reuters)

Medicine Men Help Care for Veterans

When Albert Laughter unpacks his medical supplies, preparing to treat the military veterans who are his patients, he finds no stethoscope or thermometer.
(AP)