The present invention provides methods which may effectively be used in the treatment and prevention of early cardiac and early cardiovascular diseases, for example of ischemic origin, such as left ventricular hypertrophy, coronary artery disease, essential hypertension, acute hypertensive emergency, cardiomyopathy, heart insufficiency, exercise tolerance, chronic heart failure, arrhythmia, cardiac dysrhythmia, syncopy, arteriosclerosis, mild chronic heart failure, angina pectoris, cardiac bypass reocclusion, intermittent claudication (arteriosclerosis oblitterens), diastolic dysfunction and systolic dysfunction, as well as improving the success of heart transplantations, through administration of glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor compounds.