Apparatus for treating a heart condition of a subject is provided,
including an electrode device, which is adapted to be coupled to a vagus
nerve of the subject. A control unit is adapted to drive the electrode
device to apply to the vagus nerve a stimulating current, which is
capable of inducing action potentials in a therapeutic direction in a
first set and a second set of nerve fibers of the vagus nerve. The
control unit is also adapted to drive the electrode device to apply to
the vagus nerve an inhibiting current, which is capable of inhibiting the
induced action potentials traveling in the therapeutic direction in the
second set of nerve fibers, the nerve fibers in the second set having
generally larger diameters than the nerve fibers in the first set.