Patent ID: 8290588

Claim:
A device comprising: a sense amplifier that provides an output in response to depolarizations of a heart; a pulse generator configured to pace the heart; and a controller coupled to the sense amplifier and the pulse generator, the controller configured to: determine a maximum paced rate and a reduced paced rate for the heart, the maximum paced rate being higher than the reduced paced rate; sense a sinus rate of the heart based on the output of the sense amplifier; control the pulse generator to pace the heart at a preferred rate, the preferred rate being greater than the sensed sinus rate, wherein the controller controls the pulse generator to pace the heart at the preferred rate by at least adjusting the preferred rate based on the sensed sinus rate during pacing at the preferred rate; detect that, due to the adjustment of the preferred rate, the preferred rate equals the maximum paced rate for a predetermined amount of time; and control the pulse generator to pace the heart at the reduced paced rate in response to detecting that the preferred rate equals the maximum paced rate for a predetermined amount of time.