A method and pharmaceutical composition are disclosed for treating, ameliorating and/or preventing one or more myocardial disorders in a mammalian heart caused by a myocardial hypoxic event and/or a loss, reduction or interruption in coronary blood flow such as may happen during or after events such as a heart attack, cardiac surgery including coronary artery bypass graft, or coronary artery or myocardial reperfusion. The myocardial disorders include myocardial arrhythmias, myocardial damage and myocardial cell death, and the subsequent loss of haemodynamic function. The myocardial disorders could be in progress or suspected of being in progress at the time of treatment or could be anticipated disorders being treated prophylactically. The method involves the step of administering an effective amount of the composition. The composition comprises as its active ingredient one or more compounds having myocardial persistent sodium channel blocking activity. A preferred compound is riluzole or a salt or derivative thereof.
