Milwaukee, March 8, 2005 - GE Healthcare announced today the company's 5000th installation of the Lunar Prodigy® bone densitometer to William A. Sunshine, M.D. a rheumatologist in Boca Raton, Florida. The GE Lunar Prodigy uses breakthrough direct digital technology that has been proven to be the most precise method for bone density testing and represents the gold standard for detecting osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass and increased risk of fracture.

According to Jennie Hanson, President of Lunar, a division of GE Healthcare, more than two of three bone density systems sold worldwide are manufactured by GE. "We are incredibly proud of our technology's role in the important fight against osteoporosis," said Hanson. "In a single five minute exam, clinicians can access critical information that will allow them to detect issues earlier, diagnose more precisely and make better treatment decisions." Once thought to be a normal part of aging, it is now known that osteoporosis can be slowed and fractures avoided with early detection and treatment. According to the 2004 U.S. Surgeon General's Report, 10 million Americans over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, while another 34 million are at risk for developing the disease. The report also states that approximately 1.5 million bone fractures per year are attributable to osteoporosis and health care expenditures related to osteoporosis are estimated to be $18 billion per year. Dr. William A. Sunshine requires the most advanced and easy to use technology for his patients who may be suffering from osteoporosis and related fractures.

"The precision that the GE Lunar Prodigy consistently provides has a positive impact on the care I give to my patients. I have confidence that I am getting the highest possible quality in bone densitometry with the GE Lunar Prodigy," said Dr. Sunshine.

GE is the industry leader in bone assessment technologies and has steadily grown its Lunar product line by continuing to provide the industry's most advanced technologies and services, enabling growth in 2004 that significantly outpaced its nearest competitor. The company's global sales revenues for its Lunar product line have grown 40 percent since 2001.

"GE's Lunar Prodigy provides the most precise measure of bone density available today, with twice the precision of competitive systems," said Hanson. "These successes demonstrate GE's technology and market leadership in bone densitometry and the company's commitment to finding new and more effective ways to help physicians diagnose osteoporosis and assess fracture risk." ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies that will shape a new age of patient care. GE Healthcare's expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, disease research, drug discovery and biopharmaceuticals is dedicated to detecting disease earlier and tailoring treatment for individual patients. GE Healthcare offers a broad range of services to improve productivity in healthcare and enable healthcare providers to better diagnose, treat and manage patients with conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases.

GE Healthcare is a $14 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) that is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 42,500 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

Source:  GE Healthcare

Contact GE Healthcare Banks Willis
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banks.willis@ge.com