Methods and apparatus for heart failure treatment

A method of evaluating heart failure condition in a patient comprising steps of:

• measuring airflow of the patient using a sensor;
• determining a heart failure indicator indicative of a degree of heart failure of the patient from said airflow;
• analyzing in a processor said heart failure indicator to determine a change in said heart failure indicator over time, wherein said change is a difference between a previous heart failure indicator and a subsequent heart failure indicator;
• and
• beginning with the processor subsequent heart failure treatment based at least in part upon said change in said heart failure indicator, wherein said subsequent heart failure treatment comprises increases in pressure.

An apparatus for treating a patient with heart failure comprising:

• a blower configured for supplying a controllable level of breathable gas to a mask at a pressure above atmospheric, wherein the mask provides a sealable connection with the patient's airway;
• a differential pressure transducer configured to generate a flow signal representative of the patient's airflow;
• and
• a processor configured to receive said flow signal and control said level of breathable gas;
• wherein said apparatus comprises programmed control instructions to control a determination of a heart failure indicator indicative of a degree of heart failure of the patient, and
• wherein said apparatus further comprises programmed control instructions that reduce said pressure during a detected episode of Cheyne-Stokes breathing for a predetermined period of time to permit a determination of said heart failure indicator from said predetermined period of time such that a pattern of Cheyne-Stokes breathing can emerge without significant influence from treatment pressure.