Clinical assessment of myocardial hibernation

oronary artery disease is the most common cause of congestive heart failure. More than 70% of the patients with heart failure symptoms have underlying coronary disease, whereas the majority of patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy have a previous myocardial infarction. 1 2 The prognosis of these patients is poor, particularly in men, and many of them need intermittent hospitalisation because of decompensated heart failure. In the near future, chronic heart failure will be encountered even more often, as our population ages. 1 2 The clinical charac- teristics of the patient, the presence of ischaemia, and severity of left ventricular dysfunction determine the prognosis in heart failure.