methods are provided for reducing copper values for , by way of example , treating , preventing or ameliorating tissue damage such as , for example , tissue damage that may be caused by disorders of the heart muscle such as idiopathic cardiomyopathy , metabolic cardiomyopathy which includes diabetic cardiomyopathy , alcoholic cardiomyopathy , drug - induced cardiomyopathy , ischemic cardiomyopathy , and hypertensive cardiomyopathy , atheromatous disorders of the major blood vessels such as the aorta , the coronary arteries , the carotid arteries , the cerebrovascular arteries , the renal arteries , the iliac arteries , the femoral arteries , and the popliteal arteries , toxic , drug - induced , and metabolic such as the retinal arterioles , the glomerular arterioles , the vasa nervorum , cardiac arterioles , and associated capillary beds of the eye , the kidney , the heart , and the central and peripheral nervous systems , plaque rupture of atheromatous lesions of major blood vessels such as the aorta , the coronary arteries , the carotid arteries , the cerebrovascular arteries , the renal arteries , the iliac arteries , the fermoral arteries and the popliteal arteries , diabetes or the complications of diabetes .