Cardiovascular disease primary prevention agent for patients having high blood levels of high-sensitivity c-reactive protein

Abstract

The present invention provides the following: a cardiovascular disease primary prevention agent, which comprises as the active ingredient at least one selected from the group consisting of EPA, salts thereof, and esters thereof and is for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease by administration to subjects having a blood (serum or plasma) hs-CRP level of 1.0 mg/L or higher in spite of no history of cardiovascular disease; a combination marker comprising the blood hs-CRP value and serum EPA/AA ratio for evaluating the primary risk of cardiovascular disease in subjects having no history of cardiovascular disease; and a method for extracting subjects with high risk of cardiovascular disease and/or a method for preventing cardiovascular disease.

1 . A method for primary prevention or treating cardiovascular disease comprising the steps of:
 administering eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or a salt thereof as an effective component an agent for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease to a subject with high risk of cardiovascular disease,   wherein the subject is extracted by a method comprising the steps of:   measuring a blood high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) value of a subject;   measuring a serum eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid (EPA/AA) ratio of the subject; and   extracting a subject with high risk of cardiovascular disease by combining the hs-CRP value and the EPA/AA ratio,   wherein the subject has no history of cardiovascular disease; and   wherein the subject having a hs-CRP value of at least 1.0 mg/L and an EPA/AA ratio of less than 0.5 is extracted as a high risk subject of cardiovascular disease.   
     
     
         2 . A method for primary prevention or treating cardiovascular disease comprising the steps of:
 administering eicosapentaenoate ester (EPA-E) as an effective component an agent for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease to a subject with high risk of cardiovascular disease,   wherein the subject is extracted by a method comprising the steps of:   measuring a blood high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) value of a subject;   measuring a serum eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid (EPA/AA) ratio of the subject; and   extracting a subject with high risk of cardiovascular disease by combining the hs-CRP value and the EPA/AA ratio,   wherein the subject has no history of cardiovascular disease; and   wherein the subject having a hs-CRP value of at least 1.0 mg/L and an EPA/AA ratio of less than 0.5 is extracted as a high risk subject of cardiovascular disease.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the administration step of said agent reduces the blood hs-CRP value by at least 0.1 mg/L. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the administration step of said agent reduces the blood hs-CRP value by at least 0.25 mg/L. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the administration step of said agent reduces the blood hs-CRP value by at least 0.5 mg/L. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the administration step of said agent reduces the blood hs-CRP value by at least 0.1 mg/L. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the administration step of said agent reduces the blood hs-CRP value by at least 0.25 mg/L. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the administration step of said agent reduces the blood hs-CRP value by 0.5 mg/L. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cardiovascular disease is coronary artery disease or cerebral stroke. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cardiovascular disease is myocardial infarction or angina. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the cerebral stroke is cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cardiovascular disease is coronary artery disease or cerebral stroke. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cardiovascular disease is myocardial infarction or angina. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the cerebral stroke is cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage.