the present invention refers to a use of an ex vivo method comprising the determination of plgf and sflt - 1 in a sample for diagnosis , risk stratification and / or monitoring of a vascular disease with atherosclerotic etiology , in particular a coronary heart disease such a unstable angina pectoris or myocardial infarction , and / or for estimation of the probability of developing such a disease , as well as for identification of a patient supposed to benefit from a therapy by agents reducing the risk for a cardiovascular disease . in the method a ratio of , and / or a plgf concentration in the upper two tertiles of a reference collective , and an sflt - 1 concentration in the lower tertile of the reference collective , and / or a plgf result above a plgf reference value , and an sflt - 1 result below an sflt - 1 - reference value indicate an elevated probability for an adverse event . the present invention also refers to the used method . the present invention further refers to a diagnostic kit and its use as well as to an assay element and its use .