Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence following catheter ablation remains a significant clinical challenge despite technological advancements, with recurrence rates in the range of 20–40%. While left atrial parameters have been extensively studied as predictors of recurrence, the contribution of right atrial mechanical function has received limited attention. The hypothesis that the combined assessment of right and left atrial strain parameters may provide superior predictive value represents an important clinical question with potential implications for post-ablation risk stratification and follow-up strategies. Methods: This single-center, retrospective cohort study included 100 consecutive adult patients who underwent AF ablation between May 2022 and June 2024 with at least one-year follow-up. Patients were divided into two groups: those with recurrence (n = 13) and those without recurrence (n = 87). A comprehensive echocardiographic assessment, including the speckle-tracking strain analysis of both atria, was performed. Results: The median follow-up was 365 days [range: 150–912 days] in patients with recurrence. In the multivariable analysis, right ventricular diameter (OR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.61–0.90; p = 0.001), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (OR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.00–1.08; p = 0.022), and left ventricular global longitudinal strain rate (OR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.05–1.40; p = 0.007) emerged as independent predictors of recurrence. Conclusions: The significant association of right atrial longitudinal reservoir strain with recurrence in univariable analysis, although not retained as an independent predictor in the multivariable model, suggests the importance of comprehensive cardiac assessment including right heart parameters in predicting AF recurrence.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) and other inflammatory indices for contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 317 ACS patients (aged ≥18 years) undergoing PCI between May 2022 and July 2024 at a single center in Turkey. Patients were divided into two groups based on CI-AKI development: those who developed CI-AKI (n = 35, 11.1%) and those who did not (n = 282, 88.9%). Data on demographics, clinical variables, and laboratory parameters (complete blood count, biochemistry) were collected from medical records. Inflammatory indices (neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio [NPAR], neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR], systemic immune–inflammation index [SII], pan-immune–inflammation value [PIV], systemic inflammation response index [SIRI]) were calculated. CI-AKI was defined as a ≥0.5 mg/dL absolute or ≥25% relative increase in serum creatinine within 48–72 h after contrast exposure. Results: The CI-AKI group demonstrated significantly higher neutrophil counts (p < 0.001) and neutrophil percentages (p < 0.001) and lower lymphocyte counts (p = 0.024) compared to the non-CI-AKI group. Baseline creatinine was lower in CI-AKI patients (p = 0.001) but showed significantly greater post-procedural increases (p = 0.008). All inflammatory indices predicted CI-AKI development, with NPAR showing superior performance: NPAR (AUC = 0.896, sensitivity 82.9%, specificity 84.0%), NLR (AUC = 0.732), SII (AUC = 0.694), PIV (AUC = 0.674), and SIRI (AUC = 0.709) (all p < 0.001). Independent predictors of CI-AKI included NPAR >18.44 (OR = 8.511, 95% CI: 2.763–26.212, p < 0.001), SIRI > 2.4 × 10³ (OR = 2.991, p = 0.036), neutrophil count (OR = 1.707, p = 0.008), beta-blocker use (OR = 13.037, p = 0.016), and atrial fibrillation (OR = 8.042, p = 0.044). Conclusions: NPAR emerges as an accessible biomarker for predicting CI-AKI in ACS-PCI patients, which is also superior to other inflammation indices. We believe it is necessary to recommend its integration into risk stratification to improve outcomes among PCI recipients.

Background: We aimed to assess the uric acid-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (UHR) and several other parameters with respect to their performance in detecting recurrence among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent ablation. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from patients who underwent radiofrequency or cryoablation for paroxysmal, persistent, or long persistent AF between September 2021 and September 2023. After ablation, patients were monitored for 24 h, with an ECG Holter used for symptomatic cases. Follow-up visits occurred at 1, 3, and 12 months. Collected data included demographics, comorbidities, echocardiographic measurements, clinical data, ablation type, medication use, and a comprehensive set of laboratory findings. Results: The study included 163 patients, with AF recurrence in 39 (23.93%) patients. Mean age was 57.49 ± 11.22 years, and 59.51% of participants were male. There was no significant difference between recurrent and non-recurrent groups in terms of age or sex distribution. Univariate analysis showed that recurrent patients had significantly larger left atrium diameter, higher percentages of persistent/long AF, and elevated levels of CRP, uric acid, UHR, and uric acid-to-creatinine ratio (UCR). Logistic regression analysis revealed that high left atrium diameter, long persistent AF presence, high CRP and uric acid levels, and high UCR and UHR values greater than 15.1 were independent predictors of AF recurrence. A UHR value of >15.1 was found to predict recurrence with 61.54% sensitivity and 70.97% specificity. Conclusions: Despite low sensitivity, UHR appears to be an independent biomarker that can predict AF recurrence. Including UHR in future risk assessment tools may be beneficial to enhance their accuracy.

Background: This study aimed to explore the association between inflammatory markers and the occurrence of post-atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation pericarditis (PAP), while also examining the PAP’s incidence and contributing factors. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2021 and November 2023, including patients who underwent successful AF ablation. Inflammatory markers of interest included the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR). Results: Among the 231 patients examined, 22 (9.52%) were classified as suspected PAP, and 14 (6.06%) as definitive PAP. The median age was 58 years, with no age difference between groups. Males comprised 51.52% of the sample, with male sex frequency significantly higher in the suspected PAP group relative to the other groups (p = 0.007). Multivariable logistic regression indicated that AF duration (p = 0.026) and cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation (p = 0.001) were associated with definitive PAP, whereas analysis for any pericarditis (suspected or definitive PAP) revealed independent relationships with CTI ablation (p = 0.003) and sleep apnea (p = 0.008). SII, NLR, and PLR were not associated with PAP. Conclusions: Prolonged AF duration, CTI ablation, and sleep apnea are risk factors for PAP. The inflammatory markers (SII, NLR, and PLR) showed no association, warranting further investigation into other markers.