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                               GUIDANT CORPORATION

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

FACTORS POSSIBLY AFFECTING FUTURE OPERATING RESULTS

From time to time, the Company publishes forward-looking statements relating to
anticipated financial performance, business combinations, product development
and regulatory approval timelines, intellectual property matters, market
developments and similar matters. A variety of factors could cause the Company's
actual results to differ materially from those projected, including the
following:

1.   Product development and production factors, including:

     a.   The difficulties and uncertainties inherent in new product
          development, including new products that appear promising during
          development but fail to reach the market or reach the market later
          than expected as a result of safety, performance or efficacy concerns,
          inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals, unanticipated
          restrictions imposed on approved indications, excessive costs to
          manufacture or technological advances by competitors of the Company.

     b.   Unexpected safety, performance, or efficacy concerns arising with
          respect to marketed products, whether or not scientifically justified,
          leading to product recalls, withdrawals, or declining sales.

     c.   Unexpected interruptions of manufacturing operations as a result of
          regulatory enforcement actions by the FDA, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
          Commission, or other regulatory authorities or the unavailability of
          necessary components or materials used in manufacturing the Company's
          products.

2.   Litigation and other legal factors that could preclude commercialization of
     products or negatively affect the level of sales or profitability of
     existing products, including litigation of product liability matters,
     commercial litigation like the litigation involving Cook Inc. described in
     the Company's 10-Q or patent litigation, which could result in injunctions,
     the payment of royalties or other damages.

3.   Competitive factors, including:

     a.   The introduction of new products or therapies (including the earlier
          introduction of drug eluting stents by a competitor) or scientific or
          medical developments that render the Company's existing products less
          competitive.

     b.   The ability of the Company to obtain intellectual property rights
          sufficient to protect its products or the acquisition of patents by
          competitors that prevent the Company from selling a product or
          including key features in the Company's products.



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4.   Domestic and international governmental factors, including changes to laws
     and regulations, policies and judicial decisions that affect the regulation
     and reimbursement of medical devices, product liability, health care
     reform, or tax laws.

5.   Health care industry factors, including:

     a.   Increased customer demands for price concessions, reductions in
          third-party reimbursements or refusals to provide reimbursement.

     b.   Limits imposed by customers on the number of manufacturers or vendors
          from which they purchase products.

6.   Factors relating to business combinations (including the Company's
     previously announced agreement to acquire Cook Group Incorporated),
     including:

     a.   Requirements for regulatory, shareholder, and other approvals and the
          satisfaction or waiver of other conditions (including conditions
          relating to the ACHIEVE System in connection with the Cook Group
          Incorporated acquisition).

     b.   Achievement of targets for synergies, costs, and other performance
          post closing.

7.   Internal factors, such as retention of key employees, changes in business
     strategies, the impact of restructuring and business combinations, and
     changes in the Company's effective tax rate based on changes in the
     geographic mix of the Company's income or acquisitions, if any.


8.   General economic factors, including changes in foreign currency exchange
     rates, interest rates and inflation.

9.   Other factors beyond the control of the Company, including earthquakes
     (particularly in light of the fact that the Company has significant
     facilities located near major earthquake fault lines), floods, fires,
     explosions, or acts of terrorism or war.

The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K further describes risks associated with
manufacturing, patents, competition, regulation, third-party reimbursement and
related matters.