Pioneer Press, "FDA ups risk of Guidant defects"

          A potentially deadly short-circuiting problem with implantable defibrillators made by the former Guidant Corp. may be far more common than initially indicated, according to an analysis by federal regulators.
          Guidant's implantable heart devices may fail about 10 times more often than the company had projected last year, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration analysis released in a Texas lawsuit. A judge in a product-liability lawsuit involving Guidant's defibrillators recently unsealed the FDA document dated June 16, 2005.
          Guidant has been hit by a series of safety alerts, recalls, investigations and lawsuits. The company recalled 109,000 defibrillators because of a variety of problems last year. Guidant's heart devices are made in Arden Hills. Natick, Mass.-based Boston Scientific bought Guidant earlier this year. "My major concern is why the FDA didn't release this information at the time, a year ago," Dr. Robert Hauser said.