Patent ID: 8818505

Claim:
A method comprising: delivering an electrical stimulation therapy to a patient's heart defined by current therapy parameter values for treating a condition of the patient; inducing a physiological perturbation by: delivering a baseline electrical stimulation to the patient's heart defined by an initial therapy delivered to the patient and comprising at least one baseline therapy parameter different than the current therapy parameters; after delivering the baseline electrical stimulation, inducing the physiological perturbation in the patient by delivering electrical stimulation to the patient's heart comprising a stimulation parameter having a perturbation value that deviates from a therapeutic value; detecting a physiological parameter in response to the induced physiological perturbation; comparing the physiological parameter to a physiological parameter detected during a previously induced perturbation; generating, by one or more processors, a heart failure status based on the detected change in the at least one physiological parameter; and adjusting the current therapy parameters used to deliver the electrical stimulation therapy in response to the generated heart failure status.