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Boston Scientific Welcomes Publication of Gender Data Highlighting Benefits Women Receive From CRT-Ds

The sub-analysis demonstrated that both men and women experienced significant benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy. However, women experienced a 70 percent reduction in heart failure events compared to a 35 percent reduction for men. Additional analysis demonstrated that women with asymptomatic or mild heart failure experienced a 72 percent reduction in all-cause mortality.

"CRT-D therapy has historically been underutilized in women compared to men with the same severity of heart disease," said Kenneth Stein, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, CRM, for Boston Scientific's Cardiology, Rhythm and Vascular Group. "Boston Scientific believes that all patients, regardless of gender, should have equal access to high-quality cardiovascular care. We believe these findings will help draw attention to the benefits of CRT-D treatment for women, and therefore help reduce treatment disparities between women and men."

A number of factors may have contributed to women experiencing a greater CRT-D benefit than men:

    --  MADIT-CRT found that Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) is an objective
        discriminator for a positive response to CRT and women in the trial were
        more likely than men to have LBBB.
    --  CRT-D therapy is designed to improve the heart's overall pumping ability
        and women are more likely than men to have non-ischemic heart
        disease(1).  Conversely, men are more likely to have ischemic heart
        disease (also known as coronary artery disease), which often leads to a
        more localized impact on heart function.

MADIT-CRT is the world's largest randomized CRT-D study of New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class I and II patients(2), with more than 1,800 patients enrolled at 110 centers worldwide. Results of the MADIT-CRT trial were published in the October 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties. For more information, please visit: www.bostonscientific.com.

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    (1)  Non-ischemic heart disease typically affects the entire heart
     rather than a single region and can lead to reduced pumping
     strength, abnormal heart rhythms and disturbances in the heart's
     electrical system.

    (2)  The NYHA clinical classifications of heart failure rank patients
     as Class I-II-III-IV, according to the degree of symptoms or
     functional limits, from asymptomatic to bed ridden.  MADIT-CRT
     patients are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, NYHA Class I
     (ischemic) and Class II (ischemic and non-ischemic).

    CONTACT:    Erik Kopp
                508-650-8660 (office)
                Media Relations
                Boston Scientific Corporation

                Sean Wirtjes
                508-652-5305 (office)
                Investor Relations
                Boston Scientific Corporation

SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation