Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatus for treating hypertension with electrical pre-excitation pacing therapy. Electrical pre-excitation of a hypertrophic region advances the timing of the regional contraction and reduces its contribution to the overall contraction. Such pre-excitation pacing therapy may be beneficial to hypertensive patients with an abnormal distribution of ventricular wall stress/strain.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatus for treating hypertension with electrical pre-excitation pacing therapy. Electrical pre-excitation of a hypertrophic region advances the timing of the regional contraction and reduces its contribution to the overall contraction. Such pre-excitation pacing therapy may be beneficial to hypertensive patients with an abnormal distribution of ventricular wall stress/strain.

Abstract: A cardiac pacing system controls the progression of a cardiac disorder such as heart failure by delivering cardiac stress augmentation pacing to create or augment regional stress in the heart according to a delivery schedule programmed for a patient. Various events associated with the patient's conditions, activities, and other treatments may render the cardiac stress augmentation pacing risky or ineffective. The system detects such events before and during each cardiac stress augmentation pacing session and modifies the delivery schedule in response to the detection of each event to ensure patient safety and therapy efficiency.

Abstract: An autonomic status indicator representative of a sympathetic/parasympathetic balance of a subject can use atrioventricular (AV) delays measured during recovery from (or in response to) elevated atrial pacing while the subject is at rest.

Abstract: Cardioprotective pre-excitation pacing may be applied to stress or de-stress a particular myocardial region delivering of pacing pulses in a manner that causes a dyssynchronous contraction. Such dyssynchronous contractions are responsible for the desired cardioprotective effects of pre-excitation pacing but may also be hazardous. Described herein is a method and system that uses measures of a patient's physiological response to ventricular dyssynchrony to control the duty cycles of intermittent pre-excitation pacing.

Abstract: A device and method for delivering electrical stimulation to the heart in order to improve cardiac function in heart failure patients. The stimulation is delivered as high-output pacing in which the stimulation is excitatory and also of sufficient energy to augment myocardial contractility. The device may be configured to deliver high-output pacing upon detection of cardiac decompensation.

Abstract: A pacing system delivers cardiac protective pacing therapy (CPPT) to protect the heart from injuries and/or to treat existing injuries. The pacing system receives a set of inputs and delivers optimized cardiac protection pacing tailored for different purposes. The system delivers electrical stimulation to modulate myocardial strain for anti-atherosclerosis therapy and/or to provide therapy for myocardial infarction (MI). In one embodiment, a medical device for treating atherosclerosis is provided. The medical device includes a sensing circuit to receive sensed signals to identify areas of coronary artery disease (CAD) or areas at risk for CAD using the sensed signals. The device also includes a pacemaker circuit adapted to deliver an electrical signal through at least one electrode to a myocardial target adjacent to the identified areas.

Abstract: A pacing system delivers cardiac protective pacing therapy (CPPT) to protect the heart from injuries and/or to treat existing injuries. The pacing system receives a set of inputs and delivers optimized cardiac protection pacing tailored for each of different purposes. The system delivers electrical stimulation to provide therapy for angina and/or to provide therapy for co-morbidities related to neural imbalance. In one embodiment, a method for treating angina is provided. A signal is sensed indicative of an incidence of angina and an angina region being a myocardial region affected by the angina. The incidence of angina is detected and the angina region is located. A pacing location is selected remote from the angina region, and CPPT is initiated at the pacing location. The CPPT is adapted to create increased stress at the angina region, to promote mass-redistribution and angiogenesis at the angina region to treat the angina.

Abstract: A guide catheter system includes a guide catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer wall and a first, second and third electrode wherein the first, second and third electrodes are spaced longitudinally apart from each other on the outer wall of the catheter, and an electrical impulse generator connected to the guide catheter wherein the electrical impulse generator includes a circuit for selecting an adjacent pair of electrodes to use as a bipolar electrode system to send an electrical impulse and a method of use thereof to treat vasospasm.

Abstract: A pacing system delivers cardiac protection pacing to protect the heart from injuries. The pacing system receives a set of inputs and calculates parameters for delivering optimized cardiac protection pacing tailored for different stress levels. The system automatically adjusts heart rate to optimize cardiac protection pacing in a closed-loop system. In one embodiment, a method for delivering pacing pulses for cardiac protection is provided. Intrinsic atrioventricular (AV) intervals are sensed. The intrinsic AV interval and a predetermined equation relating the AV interval to an optimal AV delay are used to provide a maximum positive rate of left ventricular pressure change during systole. An AV delay is calculated using a predetermined percentage of the optimal AV delay to deliver ventricular pacing pulses to provide a desired level of stress for cardiac protective pacing therapy (CPPT) to provide a cardiac conditioning therapy to improve autonomic balance.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, an apparatus comprising at least one implantable cardiac depolarization sensing circuit, an electrical stimulation circuit, and a pacing mode controller. The implantable cardiac depolarization sensing circuit is configured to obtain a sensed depolarization signal from a ventricle and the electrical stimulation circuit is configured to provide pacing electrical stimulation energy to at least one implantable ventricular electrode. The pacing mode controller delivers pacing therapy according to a first pacing mode that is a normal operating mode, and delivers pacing therapy according to second and third pacing modes. The second and third pacing modes increase mechanical stress on at least a particular portion of the ventricle as compared to the pacing therapy delivered during the first pacing mode. The pacing mode controller alternates between the second and third pacing modes when switched from the normal operating mode to a stress augmentation mode.

Abstract: An improved system for delivering external counterpulsation therapy is described. The system employs muscle stimulation transducers such as cutaneous electrodes in order to stimulate skeletal muscle and/or vascular smooth muscle in synchronization with the cardiac cycle in a manner that increases the fluid pressure within veins and/or arteries during cardiac diastole.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatus for treating hypertension with electrical pre-excitation pacing therapy. Electrical pre-excitation of a hypertrophic region advances the timing of the regional contraction and reduces its contribution to the overall contraction. Such pre-excitation pacing therapy may be beneficial to hypertensive patients with an abnormal distribution of ventricular wall stress/strain.