Patent ID: 7960123

Claim:
A method for diagnosing a cardiovascular complication or a risk of a cardiovascular complication in a diabetes patient who is clinically asymptomatic for cardiac disease, the method comprising the steps of: measuring in vitro the level of placental growth factor-1 (PlGF-1) in a sample from the patient, measuring in vitro the level of at least one additional marker for a cardiovascular complication or a risk of a cardiovascular complication, wherein the additional marker is selected from the group consisting of N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), C-reactive protein (CRP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and interleukin 6 (IL-6), and diagnosing the cardiovascular complication or the risk of a cardiovascular complication by comparing the measured levels to known levels associated with the cardiovascular complication or the risk, wherein a measured level of PlGF-1 higher than the known level associated with cardiovascular complication or risk, and a measured level of at least one or more of NT-proBNP, CRP, hsCRP, and IL-6 higher than the known level associated with cardiovascular complication, is indicative of a diagnosis of the cardiac complication or risk.