NATICK, Mass., and BARCELONA, Spain, May 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) today announced that Boston Scientific has become an official sponsor of IDF's "World Diabetes Day Campaign" in the global fight against diabetes. The Company and IDF made the announcement at the annual EuroPCR Scientific Program in Barcelona.

The International Diabetes Federation is a worldwide alliance of more than 200 diabetes associations in 160 countries who share a mission to enhance the lives of people with diabetes. IDF promotes appropriate diabetes care, prevention and the pursuit of a cure through activities such as World Diabetes Day, to be observed on November 14.

"We are proud to support the IDF in its efforts to build awareness around this devastating disease that affects millions of people worldwide," said David McFaul, Boston Scientific Senior Vice President, International. "As a leader in the medical device industry, we seek to improve the quality of patient care and help improve lives through disease prevention and awareness - - goals that are closely aligned with the mission of IDF."

"We are very pleased to welcome Boston Scientific as an official IDF sponsor," said Professor Dr. Martin Silink, President of the International Diabetes Federation. "As a respected member of the medical technology community, we welcome Boston Scientific's expertise, resources and participation in our global diabetes awareness campaigns, including World Diabetes Day, where our goal is to reach one billion people worldwide with care and prevention messages about the causes, symptoms, complications and treatment of diabetes."

Diabetes is a chronic, debilitating disease, which poses severe risks and costs for people with diabetes, their families and the healthcare community. The IDF estimates that more than 246 million people worldwide have diabetes, and this number is expected to rise to 380 million within 20 years. The burden on healthcare systems is substantial, with estimated costs of diabetes- related complications accounting for 5-10 percent of total global healthcare spending. The United Nations has recognized diabetes as a global threat -- the first time ever for a non-infectious disease.

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death and disability in diabetic patients, accounting for some 50 percent of all diabetes fatalities. People with diabetes and coronary artery disease often have poorer outcomes after revascularization procedures (stenting, angioplasty) due to the increased likelihood of blockage due to plaque formation in small, difficult-to-reach vessels.

Boston Scientific will be promoting diabetes awareness with its presence at EuroPCR through booth displays and educational materials. The Company also plans to build awareness of coronary artery disease among people with diabetes and referring physicians, while encouraging Interventional Cardiologists to screen their patients for diabetes when considering treatment. As part of its IDF sponsorship, Boston Scientific will make a donation to the Sociedad Espanola de Diabetes (Spanish Diabetes Society) in the form of an unrestricted grant to fund continued research on cardiology and diabetes.

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: http://www.bostonscientific.com/, http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/ and http://www.idf.org/.

The safety and effectiveness of Boston Scientific's TAXUS® Express™ paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent system has not been established in patients with diabetes in the United States.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "anticipate," "expect," "project," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "intend" and similar words. These forward- looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding scientific activities, our medical input process, growth investment and educational publications. If our underlying assumptions turn out to be incorrect, or if certain risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. These factors, in some cases, have affected and in the future (together with other factors) could affect our ability to implement our business strategy and may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements expressed in this press release. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward- looking statements.

Factors that may cause such differences include, among other things: future economic, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory conditions; new product introductions; demographic trends; intellectual property; litigation; financial market conditions; and, future business decisions made by us and our competitors. All of these factors are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are beyond our control. For a further list and description of these and other important risks and uncertainties that may affect our future operations, see Part I, Item 1A- Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we may update in Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file thereafter. We disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions, or circumstances on which those expectations may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document.

  CONTACT:  Paul Donovan
            508-650-8541 (office)
            508-667-5165 (mobile)
            Media Relations
            Boston Scientific Corporation

            Larry Neumann
            508-650-8696 (office)
            Investor Relations
            Boston Scientific Corporation

SOURCE: Boston Scientific Corporation

CONTACT: Media Relations, Paul Donovan, +1-508-650-8541 (office),
+1-508-667-5165 (mobile); Investor Relations, Larry Neumann, +1-508-650-8696
(office), both of Boston Scientific Corporation

Web site: http://www.bostonscientific.com/
http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/
http://www.idf.org/