The present invention provides methods of identifying an incidence of ischemia in mammalian tissue, particularly mammalian heart tissue. Further, a method of reducing apoptosis in mammalian tissue, preferably heart tissue, is provided. These methods involve measuring and comparing the gene expression levels of both apoptosis-specific eIF-5A and proliferating eIF-5A and correlating an incidence of ischemia when the expression level of apoptosis-specific eIF-5a is higher than proliferating eIF-5A. In the method of reducing apoptosis in mammalian tissue, there is provided an agent that inhibits expression of apoptosis-specific eIF-5A. Preferred agents are antisense oligonucleotides to human apoptosis-specific eIF-5A.