An essential element in discussions of the ethics of kidney donation is whether donors suffer as a result of their generosity. The reassuring answer is, apparently not, according to a recent study in the NEJM by researchers at the University of Minnesota. They found that "kidney donors have a normal life span, a health status that is similar to that of the general population, and an excellent quality of life; they do not have an excessive risk of end-state kidney disease". The study covered abut 3,700 donors from 1963 to 2007. ~ NEJM, Jan 29