Resumen: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) complicates 15% to 40% of cardiovascular surgeries. Its incidence progressively increases with aging, reaching 50% in octogenarians. This arrhythmia is usually transient but it increases the risk of embolic stroke, prolonged hospital stay, and cardiovascular mortality. Though many pathophysiological mechanisms are known, POAF prediction is still a hot topic of discussion. Doppler echocardiogram and, lately, strain echocardiography have shown significant capacity to predict POAF. Alterations in oxidative stress, calcium handling, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, fibrosis, and tissue aging are among the mechanisms that predispose patients to the perfect "atrial storm". Manifestations of these mechanisms have been related to enlarged atria and impaired function, which can be detected prior to surgery. Specific alterations in the atrial reservoir and pump function, as well as atrial dyssynchrony determined by echocardiographic atrial strain, can predict POAF and help to shed light on which patients could benefit from preventive therapy. Idioma: Inglés DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031355 Año: 2022 Publicado en: International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23, 3 (2022), 1355 [16 pp] ISSN: 1661-6596 Factor impacto JCR: 5.6 (2022) Categ. JCR: BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY rank: 66 / 285 = 0.232 (2022) - Q1 - T1 Categ. JCR: CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY rank: 52 / 178 = 0.292 (2022) - Q2 - T1 Factor impacto CITESCORE: 7.8 - Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (Q1) - Computer Science (Q1) - Chemistry (Q1) - Chemical Engineering (Q1) - Medicine (Q1)