A heart monitoring device has a control circuit that derives an impedance
value indicative of the impedance between different electrode surfaces.
The control circuit determines and monitors a negative rate of change of
the impedance value and determines whether the negative rate of change,
or its absolute value, increases or decreases over a number of heart
cycles. Alternatively or additionally, the control circuit may determine
and monitor a relationship between a positive rate of change and a
negative rate of change of the impedance value. The device can, in
particular, be used to detect and treat a diastolic dysfunction of a
heart.