Patent ID: 8712531

Claim:
A method for operating an implantable medical device, the medical device having a control system contained within an implantable housing, and an electrode coupled to the control system and implanted in contact with a blood vessel, the method comprising: performing a first therapy using the medical device according to a program stored in the control system, including delivering a first baroreflex stimulation signal through the electrode to stimulate a baroreceptor within a wall of the blood vessel, the first therapy programmed to treat a physiological condition through a baroreflex response; and in response to detecting a predetermined threshold value, automatically performing a second therapy using the medical device according to a program stored in the control system, including delivering a second baroreflex stimulation signal through the electrode to stimulate the baroreceptor, the second therapy programmed to treat the physiological condition through a baroreflex response, wherein the second therapy is different from the first therapy.