A method and apparatus to provide therapy to a patient for protecting cardiac tissue from insult is disclosed. The method comprises delivering closed loop electrical stimulation to one or more predetermined portions of a portion of excitable tissue of the spinal cord of a patient; and monitoring one or more physiologic indices of the body. That is, a closed-loop feedback controller is used to apply electrical stimulation to preselected regions of the spinal cord of a patient's body based upon one or more aspects of the physiologic indices.