CRP and atrial fibrillation: In a small study of patients with persistent AF, hs-CRP levels in patients who remained in sinus rhythm after cardioversion gradually decreased and were significantly lower at the final evaluation than at baseline before cardioversion; hs-CRP levels did not change significantly in patients with AF recurrence.32These data are not supported, however, by a larger study on a range of inflammatory biomarkers before and after cardioversion.34Overall, it is unlikely that an effect of successful cardioversion accounts for the entirety of the reductions observed in this study.