ResMed to Educate Bariatric Specialists at ASBS 23rd Annual Scientific Session

San Diego - April 19, 2006

ResMed Corp, a global leader in medical equipment for the screening, treatment and management of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and other respiratory disorders, announced further progress in its ongoing efforts to improve the lives of sleep apnea patients with morbid obesity. As part of this initiative, ResMed will be attending the American Society for Bariatric Surgery to educate bariatric specialists on new technologies and methods for treating sleep apnea and improving therapy compliance in their patients. A special focus for the exhibition will be ResMed's world-leading AutoSet Vantage(tm) flow generator and the innovative Mirage Activa(tm) nasal mask.

The comorbidity of SDB and bariatrics is well established; studies have shown that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 77% of bariatric surgery patients, a substantially higher percentage than in the general population.¹ Additionally, bariatric surgery patients with OSA have three times greater risk for complications in surgery than those without.² However, treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) can reduce post-operative complications, as well as hospital costs and length of stay.³  Further, PAP treatment may improve common comorbidities associated with obesity (eg, hypertension) prior to surgery.  Due to these significant interactions, ResMed is working to build relationships between the sleep medicine and bariatric surgery communities with the goal of implementing practical solutions for sleep apnea in diagnosis and therapy.

"The healthcare community recognizes the severe impacts of sleep apnea on their patients. Our goal is to help them treat sleep apnea effectively, so their patients can experience maximum benefits from their sleep apnea therapy," stated Mick Farrell, VP of Marketing, Americas." The AutoSet Vantage and Mirage Activa are ideal for bariatric patients who are undergoing rapid weight changes. As their pressure needs change, the AutoSet Vantage automatically adjusts to deliver optimal therapy. The Mirage Activa is specially designed to contour to the changing facial shapes: this is perfect for a patient with rapid weight loss. Together, these products provide a complete therapy solution addressing the special needs of this patient group."

ResMed will be exhibiting at booth #1019 at the American Society for Bariatric Surgery Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The session will take place June 26 through July 1, 2006. For more information, contact Brooke Harding at ResMed Corp by phone at (858) 746-2400 x2579, by email at brookeh@resmed.com, or by visiting the company's multilingual website at www.resmed.com.

About ResMed

ResMed is a global leader in medical equipment for the screening, treatment and management of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), selling a comprehensive range of products in over 65 countries. ResMed provides quality systems, reliable products and complete solutions for lasting results for its customers and their patients .

¹ O'Keeffe and Patterson. Obes Surg 2004
² Perugini et al. Arch Surg 2003
³ Cooney et al. Obes Surg 2003