System and method for assessing a likelihood of a patient to experience a cardiac arrhythmia

A system for assessing a likelihood of a patient having a heart to experience a cardiac arrhythmia, comprising:

• a sensor configured to sense T-wave changes following a premature ventricular contraction of said heart that introduces a baroreflex of said heart, said premature ventricular contraction being premature relative to a rate of ventricular contractions during a period preceding said premature ventricular contraction;
• and
• a processor configured to determine said likelihood of said patient experiencing said cardiac arrhythmia with said processor based, at least in part, on an alternating characteristic of a predetermined number of T-waves following said premature ventricular contraction.

A method for assessing a likelihood of a patient having a heart to experience a cardiac arrhythmia with a system comprising a sensor and a processor, comprising the steps of:

• evaluating T-wave changes following a premature ventricular contraction of said heart that introduces a baroreflex of said heart, said premature ventricular contraction being premature relative to a rate of ventricular contractions during a period preceding said premature ventricular contraction;
• and then
• determining said likelihood of said patient experiencing said cardiac arrhythmia with said processor based, at least in part, on an alternating characteristic of a predetermined number of T-waves following said premature ventricular contraction.