Patent ID: 8515536

Claim:
An implantable pacemaker assembly for pacing a heart of a patient suffering from hypertension or sodium retention, the implantable pacemaker assembly comprising: electrically conductive leads adapted to connect to heart tissue in the heart of the patient; a programmable implantable pacemaker connectable or connected to the conductive leads, wherein the implantable pacemaker is programmed to: sense electrical signals generated by the heart and conveyed to the pacemaker through one or more of the conductive leads; based on the sensed electrical signals, determine an atrial refractory period and a ventricular refractory period of the heart; generate electrical signals to be conveyed to the heart through one or more of the conductive leads, wherein the electrical signals artificially pace an atrium of the heart during a period between an end of the atrial refractory period and an end of the ventricular refractory period, wherein the generated electrical signals provide excitatory stimulation to the atrium causing the atrium to contract while a heart valve associated with the atrium is closed such that the contraction distends the atrium, and the distending atrium results in a therapeutic effect of a reduction in at least one of vasoconstriction and sodium retention.