A method of treating a patient suffering from or susceptible to ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease or stroke or which subject is suffering pain, a CNS disorder or sleep apnea which comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of an adenosine derivative which is an agonist at the adenosine A1 receptor and which exhibits little or no agonist activity of the A3 receptor. The adenosine derivative has a general formula (I) as follows:
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