Patent ID: 8108035

Claim:
A method for use with an implantable medical device for implant within a patient, comprising: detecting electrical cardiac signals within the patient; detecting variations in the cardiac signals indicative of a possible episode of cardiac ischemia; obtaining atrial paced depolarization integral (PDI) measurements, including an initial baseline atrial PDI based on atrial PDI measurements before a posture change by the patient, a subsequent baseline atrial PDI based on atrial PDI measurements following the posture change by the patient, and transient PDI measurements corresponding to the PDI measurements during the posture change; detecting a significant change in patient posture when a difference between the initial atrial PDI baseline and the subsequent atrial PDI baseline exceeds a predetermined threshold indicative of a significant posture change; identifying a transient decay period subsequent to a change in posture during which the transient PDI measurements gradually decay to the subsequent baseline atrial PDI; detecting, using a microprocessor, for an episode of cardiac ischemia based, at least in part, on weighted parameters of the cardiac signals, wherein the weights of the parameters of those cardiac signals detected during a significant posture change period and the transient decay period are adjusted according to a particular technique being used to detect ischemia, wherein the significant posture change period corresponds to the period of time during which atrial PDI measurements transition from an initial atrial PDI baseline to a subsequent atrial PDI baseline, wherein the initial atrial PDI baseline and the subsequent atrial PDI baseline correspond to a previously detected significant change in patient posture.