Selective nerve fiber stimulation for treating heart conditions

1 - 80 . (canceled)

81 . A method for treating a subject, comprising:

identifying that the subject suffers from a condition selected from the group consisting of: atrial arrhythmia, and atrial arrhythmia combined with heart failure; and

treating the condition by:

driving, by a control unit, application of a current to a site of the subject selected from the group consisting of: a vagus nerve and an epicardial fat pad,

configuring the current so as to treat the condition, and

driving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to apply energy to a heart of the subject, the ICD being in communication with the control unit that drives the application of the current.

82 . A method for treating a subject, comprising:

identifying that the subject suffers from atrial arrhythmia; and

treating the atrial arrhythmia by:

applying a current to a site of the subject selected from the group consisting of: a vagus nerve and an epicardial fat pad, and

configuring the current to control a heart rate during atrial arrhythmia.

83 . The method according to claim 82 , wherein applying the current comprises synchronizing the application of the current with a cardiac cycle of the subject.

84 . The method according to claim 82 , comprising driving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to apply energy to a heart of the subject, the ICD being in communication with a control unit that drives the application of the current.

85 . The method according to claim 82 , comprising driving an implantable pacemaker to apply energy to a heart of the subject, the pacemaker being in communication with a control unit that drives the application of the current.

86 . The method according to claim 82 , wherein identifying comprises identifying that the subject suffers from the atrial arrhythmia combined with heart failure, and wherein treating comprises treating the atrial arrhythmia combined with the heart failure.

87 . A treatment method, comprising:

identifying that a subject suffers from a heart condition; and

treating the heart condition by:

applying a current to a vagus nerve of the subject, and

configuring the current to increase coronary blood flow.

88 . The method according to claim 87 , wherein the heart condition includes variant angina, and wherein identifying comprises identifying that the subject suffers from the variant angina.

89 . The method according to claim 87 , wherein applying the current comprises receiving an override signal generated by the subject, and applying the current responsively to the override signal.

90 . Apparatus comprising:

an electrode device, configured to be coupled to a vagus nerve of the subject; and

a control unit, configured to:

receive a subject-generated override signal indicative of variant angina, and

responsively to the override signal, apply a current to the vagus nerve, and to configure the current to treat the variant angina.

91 . The apparatus according to claim 90 , and comprising an external magnet, wherein the control unit is configured to receive the subject-generated override signal generated using the external magnet.

92 . The apparatus according to claim 90 , wherein the control unit is configured to configure the current to increase coronary blood flow, so as to treat the variant angina.

93 . A treatment method comprising:

identifying that a subject suffers from a variant angina; and

treating the variant angina by applying a current to a vagus nerve of the subject responsively to receiving an override signal from the subject.

94 . The method according to claim 93 , wherein treating the variant angina comprises configuring the current to increase coronary blood flow.

95 . The method according to claim 93 , wherein receiving the override signal comprises receiving the override signal generated by the subject using an external magnet.