NATICK, Mass., Dec. 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today welcomed the publication of an analysis from its ALTITUDE® Clinical Science program in the current issue of Circulation that showed patients followed by the LATITUDE® Patient Management system experienced a 50 percent relative reduction in the risk of death compared to patients followed in-clinic only.  The analysis also showed that heart failure patients who transmitted weight and blood pressure data via the LATITUDE system experienced an additional 10 percent reduction in the risk of death compared to other CRT-D patients followed by the LATITUDE system.

Boston Scientific has enrolled more than 180,000 patients on the LATITUDE system since its introduction in 2006.  The LATITUDE system enables physicians to conduct remote follow-up of implantable cardiac device patients to monitor specific device information and heart health status.  The system can also detect clinical events between scheduled in-clinic visits and send relevant data directly to physicians.  

The ALTITUDE program enhances physician understanding of device therapy, outcomes and disease progression in a real-world setting for device patients followed by the LATITUDE system.  

"Patients remotely monitored by physicians may fare better due to earlier notification of events, resulting in diagnosis or therapy that can reduce subsequent risk," said Leslie Saxon, M.D., F.A.C.C., Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Institute, University of Southern California, and chairperson of the ALTITUDE physician panel.  "Remote follow-up may also encourage patients to be more aware of their health status."

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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SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation