Implantable cardiac stimulator

An implantable cardiac stimulator, in particular a cardiac pacemaker or cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD), comprising a ventricular detection unit (VS) which is to be connected to an intracardiac electrode and is adapted to record and detect ventricular events, and a ventricular stimulation unit (VP) which is to be connected to a ventricular electrode and is adapted to produce ventricular stimulation pulses for delivery to the ventricle of a heart, and a control unit which is connected to the ventricular detection unit (VS) and to the ventricular stimulation unit (VP) and is adapted to actuate the ventricular stimulation unit (VP) in a VVI mode in ventricle-inhibited fashion in such a way that a ventricular stimulation pulse is triggered at a moment in time predetermined by a stimulation rate if it is not inhibited by detection of a natural ventricular contraction by means of the ventricular detection unit (VS) within a predetermined time window, characterized in that the control unit is adapted to predetermine a stimulation rate which is higher than an in particular intrinsic rate appropriate to the physiological demand.