Patent ID: 7749711

Claim:
A method of diagnosing a vascular disease, wherein said vascular disease is at least one selected from the group consisting of atherosclerosis and thrombosis, in a living subject, comprising the steps of: (a) measuring the amount of endogenous circulating antibodies directed against an oxidatively damaged low-density lipoprotein in a sample of blood from the living subject; (b) administering a polyunsaturated fatty acid to the living subject; (c) measuring the amount of said endogenous circulating antibodies in a second sample of blood from the living subject obtained after the administration of said polyunsaturated fatty acid; and, (d) determining the difference in the amount of said endogenous circulating antibodies between (a) and (c), wherein said antibodies do not interact with intestinally-derived chylomicrons and wherein the greater the severity of the vascular disease, the greater the fall in said circulating antibodies.