Methods and kits for predicting the risk of having a cardiovascular disease or event

A method for preventing a cardiovascular event in a subject determined to be at risk of having a cardiovascular event, wherein said cardiovascular event is selected from the group consisting of sudden cardiac death, an acute coronary syndrome and a non-cardiac acute arteriovascular event, said method comprising:

• determining a subject to be at risk of having a cardiovascular event by:
• measuring the expression level of soluble Triggering Receptors Expressed on Myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) in a sample from the subject, wherein said expression level is the expression level of mRNA or the expression level of protein;
• comparing the sTREM-1 expression level measured in the sample from the subject to a reference value;
• and
• determining the subject to be at risk of having a cardiovascular event, wherein a sTREM-1 expression level higher than the reference value is indicative of being at risk of having a cardiovascular event;
• preventing a cardiovascular event in the subject determined to be at risk of having a cardiovascular event by administering to said subject a therapy for preventing a cardiovascular event, wherein said therapy is a modulator of TREM-1 function, activity or expression.