TITLE:
Diagnostic Value of Combining Left Atrial Stiffness Index with sST2 for Heart Failure in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
AUTHORS:
Yeting Wang, Lizhen Li, Jingying Yan, Boyan Jia, Ke Huang, Cuicui Wu, Jinqiu Zhang
KEYWORDS:
Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Failure, Left Atrial Stiffness Index, Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity 2
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.3,
March
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: Objective: To obtain the derived parameter left atrial stiffness index (LASI) using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) and evaluate the diagnostic value of LASI combined with soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 106 AF patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities between March 2024 and March 2025. The patients were divided into an AF group (n = 60) and an AF with HF group (n = 46) based on the presence of HF. General clinical data, laboratory indicators, conventional echocardiographic parameters, 2D-STI strain parameters, and derived parameters were compared between the two groups. Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for HF in AF patients, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess diagnostic efficacy. Results: Compared with the AF group, the AF with HF group showed significantly higher age, proportion of persistent AF, NT-proBNP, sST2, LVEDd, LVEDs, LAD, septal e’, E/lateral e’, and LASI levels, while hypertension, systolic blood pressure, LVEF, lateral e’, absolute LASr, absolute LASed, and absolute LASst values were significantly lower (all P LASI > sST2 > LAD (AUC: 0.935, 0.865, 0.857, 0.813; cutoff values: 0.675, 0.5, 35, 39; sensitivity: 82.61%, 82.61%, 78.26%, 76.09%; specificity: 98.33%, 80%, 85%, 80%, respectively). Conclusion: In patients with atrial fibrillation complicated with heart failure, elevated left atrial stiffness index (LASI) and increased expression of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) may serve as auxiliary diagnostic biomarkers, demonstrating certain clinical value.