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Updated: May 20, 2026

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
08:10

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: July 20, 2022

Predictive Value of Uric Acid-to-Albumin Ratio for Left Atrial Thrombus or Spontaneous Echo Contrast in Patients with

Xiangzhu Meng1, Yuhang Wen1, Xiangying Wang2

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.

Journal of Inflammation Research
|May 19, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The uric acid-to-albumin ratio (UAR) predicts left atrial thrombus or spontaneous echo contrast in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients. UAR offers improved risk assessment beyond the CHA2DS2-VASc score.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biomarkers
  • Medical Diagnostics

Background:

  • The uric acid-to-albumin ratio (UAR) is an emerging inflammatory marker associated with cardiovascular disease.
  • Left atrial thrombus or spontaneous echo contrast (LAT/SEC) is a significant complication in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).
  • Existing risk stratification scores may not fully capture the risk of LAT/SEC in NVAF patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the predictive capability of UAR for LAT/SEC in NVAF patients.
  • To investigate the underlying mechanisms linking UAR to LAT/SEC.
  • To determine if UAR provides added predictive value beyond the established CHA2DS2-VASc score.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 514 NVAF patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).
  • Statistical methods included multivariable logistic regression, restricted cubic splines, generalized additive models, ROC curves, and mediation analyses.
  • Reclassification indices were used to evaluate the incremental value of UAR over the CHA2DS2-VASc score.

Main Results:

  • UAR was independently and non-linearly associated with LAT/SEC (OR: 1.43).
  • A UAR threshold of 12.11 indicated a significantly increased risk.
  • UAR demonstrated superior predictive performance (AUC=0.712) compared to uric acid or albumin alone and improved risk stratification when added to the CHA2DS2-VASc model.

Conclusions:

  • UAR is a significant independent predictor of LAT/SEC in NVAF patients.
  • UAR offers incremental predictive value beyond the CHA2DS2-VASc score for LAT/SEC.
  • UAR may serve as a practical biomarker for refining risk assessment and guiding anticoagulation therapy in NVAF.
Abstract

Keywords:
atrial fibrillationleft atrial thrombusspontaneous echo contrasturic acid-to-albumin ratio

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