Patent ID: 8321024

Claim:
A method, comprising: causing a baroreflex therapy system to be manufactured and made available to a user, the baroreflex therapy system configured to be implantable within a patient and including a blood pressure sensor and a heart rate sensor; causing an implantable measurement device to be manufactured and made available to the user, the implantable measurement device configured to be implantable proximate a blood vessel of the patient, the implantable measurement device including an electrode; and causing a control system to be manufactured and made available to the user, the control system configured to be coupled to the baroreflex therapy system and the implantable measurement device, the control system programmed to automatically: determine an impedance of the blood vessel with the implantable measurement device over a time period of at least one cardiac cycle; determine arterial stiffness of the blood vessel based on the impedance; determine blood pressure and heart rate; and activate, deactivate or otherwise modulate the baroreflex therapy system to deliver a baroreflex therapy based on the blood pressure, heart rate and arterial stiffness.