Hibernating myocardium is a potentially reversible form of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction the treatment of which improves function and prognosis. The identification of viable myocardium is critical in deciding which patients undergo revascularisation. Stunning is a clinically relevant phenomenon and it has been suggested that repeated episodes of stunning may cause chronic LV dysfunction. If this is the case then pharmacological agents which prevent stunning could represent a potential treatment of chronic LV dysfunction in patients with CAD.