Patent ID: 7272443

Claim:
A method for predicting the onset of a heart condition within a patient having an implantable medical device, the method comprising: detecting impedance values representative of thoracic fluid levels within the patient; detecting impedance values representative of ventricular mass within the patient; predicting the onset of the medical condition within the patient based on the values representative of thoracic fluid levels in combination with the values representative of ventricular mass; wherein detecting values representative of thoracic fluid levels is performed to detect a fluid overload and wherein detecting values representative of ventricular mass is performed to detect mass overload; wherein the implantable medical device includes a device can and is coupled to a cardiac electrode implanted in the heart and wherein detecting fluid overload is performed by detecting a sustained decrease in cardiac electrode—can impedance over a predetermined period of time; and wherein the predetermined period of time is at least three days.