Innovation at health technology company Abbott last year alone included 20 breakthrough product launches, all over the world, helping improve the lives of millions of people with conditions like diabetes, heart disease and chronic pain.

These additions join our medical technology portfolio of more than 1,500 solutions spanning nutrition, diagnostics, diabetes and cardiovascular care.

And the energy's still growing.

Abbott was recently named to Clarivate's Top 100 Global Innovators for the fifth year in a row, highlighted as one of the list's "medical marvels." Our breakthroughs address diverse pain points in current treatments to bring life-changing technology to patients around the world and push the limits of what medical science can achieve. For example:

• Certain people with weak hearts who are awaiting a heart transplant are able to keep their blood pumping with our structural heart innovation, the HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist device. People with our Assurity MRI^TM pacemaker, the world's smallest, longest-lasting wireless MRI-compatible pacemaker, enjoy longevity, greater comfort and fewer complications.
• We are the only company in the world to offer the revolutionary BurstDR and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation therapy to alleviate difficult-to-treat chronic pain and to improve the quality of life for people with this condition. Abbott's DBS system is the only technology in the world to offer directional lead—one of the first major advances in DBS therapy in two decades to help patients with movement disorders combat the symptoms of their condition.
• The healthcare system and laboratory professionals benefit from the improved productivity and workflow of our Alinity family of harmonized laboratory testing solutions, next-generation diagnostic systems designed to address some of the most pressing problems in healthcare and help improve patient outcomes.
• And people with diabetes no longer need to stick their fingers routinely thanks to the FreeStyle^® Libre flash glucose monitoring system¹. Users simply apply a sensor the size of two stacked quarters to the back of the upper arm and scan with a hand-sized, touchscreen reader to get real-time glucose readings. Real-world evidence from more than 55,000 users of FreeStyle Libre across Europe show an association between more frequent testing and improved glucose control.

As we look to 2018 and the potential to build on a rich foundation of innovation, we are proud to call some of the strongest minds in medical science our own — and look forward to continuing to improve lives across a wide spectrum of health challenges in more than 150 countries around the globe.

¹Fingersticks are required for treatment decisions when you see Check Blood Glucose symbol, when symptoms do not match system readings, when you suspect readings may be inaccurate, or when you experience symptoms that may be due to high or low blood glucose.