A blood pump for supporting the heart may be provided that includes: a rotor with delivery elements a rotor drive a pressure sensor and a regulating device that regulates a pressure or a hemodynamic parameter by means of control of the rotor drive. The pressure and/or the hemodynamic parameter may be determined by means of one or a plurality of hemodynamic sensors and/or from operating parameters of the pump. The regulating device may be suitable for regulating a hemodynamic parameter successively, such as periodically, to different target values. Using such regulation, the blood pump may be operated in an optimized manner, and operation of the blood pump may be varied in a targeted and patient-protective manner in order to attain certain goals.
