Patent ID: 7392084

Claim:
A method, comprising: implanting a cardiac pacing device having a plurality of pacing channels in a patient so as to allow paces to be delivered to a plurality of ventricular sites; configuring the cardiac pacing device to deliver cardiac function therapy that effects reversal of ventricular remodeling by delivering pacing pulses to one or more stressed or hypertrophied ventricular regions in a manner that pre-excites those region(s) relative to other ventricular regions; measuring the cardiac output of the patient; measuring the exertion level of the patient; configuring the cardiac pacing device to assess the patient's cardiac function by comparing the measured cardiac output with the measured exertion level and computing a cardiac function parameter indicative as to whether the patient's cardiac output is adequate for the measured exertion level; and configuring the cardiac pacing device to temporarily suspend delivery of cardiac function therapy, assess the patient's cardiac function while no cardiac function therapy is being delivered by comparing the cardiac function parameter to a threshold value, continuing delivery of cardiac function therapy if the patient's cardiac function is determined to be inadequate, and ceasing delivery of cardiac function therapy if the patient's cardiac function is determined to have improved to a specified extent.