Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the amount of circulating CD36 protein or a fraction thereof which is present in cell-free plasma, preferably in a high molecular weight plasma fraction, such as a lipoprotein fraction selected from Low Density Lipoprotein, Intermediate Density Lipoprotein, and Very Low Density Lipoprotein using an immunological method which comprises the steps of (i) providing a plasma sample to be investigated, (ii) providing an anti-CD36 antibody, (iii) exposing the sample to be investigated to the antibody, and (iv) detecting and quantifying the amount of CD36 which binds to the antibody.