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Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

ST . (NYSE:STJ) announced today enrollment of the first patients in
the ASSERT (ASymptomatic AF and Stroke Evaluation in Pacemaker
Patients and the AF Reduction Atrial Pacing Trial) clinical study. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. (www.

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Jude Medical's AF Suppression(TM) technology is the world's
only algorithm clinically proven to suppress atrial fibrillation.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

ST.
V-V timing refers to the delay between contraction of the left and
right ventricles, compared with simultaneous pulses to both left and
right ventricles .

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,
Professor of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,
one of the study's principal investigators., enrolled the first U. (www.sjm.

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Sinan Gursoy, M.

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St. Jude Medical Begins Enrollment in the ASSERT Clinical Study to Evaluate the Relationship Between Atrial High Rate Episodes and Stroke

Jude Medical's Cardiac Rhythm Management Division. Jude Medical, Inc.

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D. Patients enrolled in the study must be over 65 years
old, have a history of hypertension requiring drug therapy, and be
recently implanted with a St. Connolly and Dr. Jude Medical's anticipated
future product launches, regulatory approvals, revenues, earnings,
market shares, and potential clinical successes are forward-looking
statements which are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as those
described in the Financial Section of the Company's Annual Report to
Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003 (see pages
11-16).

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval
to activate V-V (ventricle to ventricle) timing in all models of its
Epic(TM) HF and Atlas(R)+ HF CRT-Ds (cardiac resynchronization therapy
defibrillators).

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PAUL, Minn.----St. "We also hope to discover
whether AF suppression technology prevents or reduces symptomatic AF
episodes, along with reducing the burden of AF. Jude Medical Identity (R) ADx DR
pacemaker with the AF Suppression(TM) algorithm. The V-V timing feature allows physicians to adjust
the delay between ventricular outputs, as well as choose which chamber
is paced first .

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ASSERT also examines the efficacy of St.
"We begin the ASSERT study knowing that pacemaker patients
commonly experience atrial high rate episodes, but the clinical
significance remains largely unknown ," said Stuart J.
Atrial fibrillation, the most common chronic arrhythmia, affects 6
million people worldwide. Characterized by rapid,
uncoordinated and uncontrolled contractions of the atria (upper
chambers of the heart), AF prevents the heart from efficiently pumping
blood and diminishes quality of life. "V-V timing
allows physicians important flexibility to optimize therapy based on
the needs of individual patients. Jude Medical is the only company with FDA approval for V-V timing
in CRT defibrillators.
St. Jude Medical, Inc.

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"The state-of-the-art diagnostics in the Identity ADx pacemaker
detect and track episodes of atrial tachycardia and atrial
fibrillation, generating six-month trend graphs to help physicians
better manage atrial high rate events," said Eric S.

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sjm .----In an effort to
provide important, cutting-edge technologies to even more heart
failure patients , St.S.
Rousseau, President of St. Jude Medical's US Division.

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The AF Suppression(TM) algorithm provides atrial stimulation at
well-tolerated, patient-tailored rates, whether the patient is active
or at rest."
This upgrade is made possible by a programmer software
enhancement, and can be enabled during a patient's regular visit with
a clinician.

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Jude Medical,
Inc., enrolled the first Asian patient at the Keimyung University
Dongsan Medical Center in Daegu, Korea. Hohnloser, Professor of Medicine at
J.D.
Any statements made regarding the Company's anticipated future
product launches, regulatory approvals, revenues, earnings, market
shares, and potential clinical success are forward-looking statements
which are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as those described
in the Financial Section of the Company's Annual Report to
Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 (see page
17).

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It
offers a device-based approach to continuously monitor the heart's
intrinsic atrial activity and stimulate the atrium slightly above the
patient 's rhythm (overdrive stimulation), for the purpose of
suppressing the onset of paroxysmal and persistent AF. The feature had previously been available only in certain
models of the St.

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W."
St. In addition , fixed overdrive pacing usually
can't result in the high percentage of atrial pacing that's possible
with AF Suppression(TM) technology. It is a common risk factor for - and cause
of - stroke.
St . (NYSE:STJ) announced today
that it has received U.com) is dedicated to the design,
manufacture and distribution of innovative medical devices of the
highest quality, offering physicians, patients and payers outstanding
clinical performance and demonstrated economic value.

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The ASSERT study , which is being conducted at 125 international
clinical centers and coordinated by the Population Health Institute at
McMaster University, is designed as a randomized, single-blinded study
of elderly hypertensive patients with a first pacemaker for sinus or
AV nodal disease. Jude Medical . Fain, M. "When
combined with the AF Suppression algorithm, we're optimistic that this
approach may help optimize care of elderly hypertensive patients who
have a standard bradycardia pacing indication . Thousands of patients implanted with these devices
now have the important therapeutic option of V-V timing
programmability, which is designed to optimize the benefits of
resynchronization pacing .

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Jude Medical's AF Suppression(TM) algorithm in helping these patients
avoid symptomatic AF. Many previous atrial overdrive methods were based on fixed
overdrive pacing, which can be uncomfortable for patients while
relaxing or sleeping. Jude Medical, Inc. Jude Medical Epic(TM) HF and Atlas(R )+ HF CRT-Ds.

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Any statements made regarding St.com) is dedicated to the design,
manufacture and distribution of innovative medical devices of the
highest quality, offering physicians, patients and payers unmatched
clinical performance and demonstrated economic value. Patients who do not respond to simultaneous pacing may
benefit from the sequential timing offered by V-V programmability.

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Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, are the principal
investigators of this study, which is sponsored by St. The prevalence
of AF increases as the population ages.

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The
study will follow 2,500 patients for 3 1/2 years to determine if
pacemaker-detected AHRE (Atrial High Rate Events) predict an increased
risk of stroke in elderly hypertensive patients without previous
atrial fibrillation (AF).S.,
Senior Vice President of Development and Clinical/Regulatory Affairs
for St.

St. Jude Medical Upgrades All Epic HF and Atlas+ HF Devices with V-V Timing Programmability

"Response from physicians has been so encouraging that we wanted
to offer V-V timing programmability to a wider number of heart failure
patients, including those who were originally implanted with device
models that did not have the feature available," said Michael T.

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Stefan H. PAUL, Minn.

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Connolly, M. patient in the ASSERT
study at Naples Community Hospital in Naples, Florida, and Seong-Wook
Han, M.

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Dr . In the United States, AF presents an immense health care
and financial burden, affecting over 2 million people with annual
medical expenditures estimated at $6 billion dollars. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

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