BACKGROUND: Early repolarization (ER), defined by J-point elevation in 12-lead ECG, was recently associated with increased risk for idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and cardiovascular mortality. The determinants of ER are unknown. We investigated its heritability in a large, family-based cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study sample comprised 1877 individuals from 505 white nuclear families representative of the British general population. Standard 12-lead ECGs were evaluated for the presence of ER, defined as J-point elevation of ≥0.1 mV in at least 2 adjacent inferior (II, III, and aVF) or anterolateral (I, aVL, and V(4) through V(6)) leads. Narrow sense heritability estimates were computed adjusting for age, age(2), and sex. The prevalence of ER was 7.7% (n=145) in the whole cohort, 5.9% (n=56) in parents, and 9.6% (n=89) in offspring. Heritability estimate for the presence of ER was calculated at h(2)=0.49 (standard error=0.14; P=2.7*10(-4)) and was higher when restricted to its presence in inferior leads (h(2)=0.61, standard error=0.18, P=4.3*10(-4)) or for the notching ER morphology (h(2)=0.81, standard error=0.19, P=2.4*10(-5)). Individuals with at least 1 affected parent had a 2.5-fold increased risk for presenting with ER on ECG (odds ratio, 2.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.33 to 4.84; P=0.005). Familial transmission was more frequent when the mother was affected (odds ratio, 3.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.41 to 10.43; P=0.008) than when the father was affected (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 4.03; P=0.141), although this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.18). CONCLUSIONS: ER is a heritable phenotype. Offspring of ER-positive parents have a 2.5-fold increased risk of presenting with ER on their ECG.
BACKGROUND: Early repolarization (ER), defined by J-point elevation in 12-lead ECG, was recently associated with increased risk for idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and cardiovascular mortality. The determinants of ER are unknown. We investigated its heritability in a large, family-based cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study sample comprised 1877 individuals from 505 white nuclear families representative of the British general population. Standard 12-lead ECGs were evaluated for the presence of ER, defined as J-point elevation of ≥0.1 mV in at least 2 adjacent inferior (II, III, and aVF) or anterolateral (I, aVL, and V(4) through V(6)) leads. Narrow sense heritability estimates were computed adjusting for age, age(2), and sex. The prevalence of ER was 7.7% (n=145) in the whole cohort, 5.9% (n=56) in parents, and 9.6% (n=89) in offspring. Heritability estimate for the presence of ER was calculated at h(2)=0.49 (standard error=0.14; P=2.7*10(-4)) and was higher when restricted to its presence in inferior leads (h(2)=0.61, standard error=0.18, P=4.3*10(-4)) or for the notching ER morphology (h(2)=0.81, standard error=0.19, P=2.4*10(-5)). Individuals with at least 1 affected parent had a 2.5-fold increased risk for presenting with ER on ECG (odds ratio, 2.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.33 to 4.84; P=0.005). Familial transmission was more frequent when the mother was affected (odds ratio, 3.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.41 to 10.43; P=0.008) than when the father was affected (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 4.03; P=0.141), although this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.18). CONCLUSIONS: ER is a heritable phenotype. Offspring of ER-positive parents have a 2.5-fold increased risk of presenting with ER on their ECG.
Authors: Charles Antzelevitch; Gan-Xin Yan; Michael J Ackerman; Martin Borggrefe; Domenico Corrado; Jihong Guo; Ihor Gussak; Can Hasdemir; Minoru Horie; Heikki Huikuri; Changsheng Ma; Hiroshi Morita; Gi-Byoung Nam; Frederic Sacher; Wataru Shimizu; Sami Viskin; Arthur A M Wilde Journal: Europace Date: 2017-04-01 Impact factor: 5.214
Authors: K G Madhu; Vijo George; T G Binu; R Ranjith; Subair Kunju; R Baiju; K S Mohanan; R Jayaram; V V Radhakrishnan Journal: Heart Asia Date: 2014-12-08
Authors: Moritz F Sinner; Kimmo Porthan; Peter A Noseworthy; Aki S Havulinna; Jani T Tikkanen; Martina Müller-Nurasyid; Gina Peloso; Sheila Ulivi; Britt Maria Beckmann; A Catharina Brockhaus; Rebecca R Cooper; Paolo Gasparini; Christian Hengstenberg; Shih-Jen Hwang; Annamaria Iorio; M Juhani Junttila; Norman Klopp; Mika Kähönen; Maarit A Laaksonen; Terho Lehtimäki; Peter Lichtner; Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen; Eimo Martens; Christa Meisinger; Thomas Meitinger; Faisal M Merchant; Markku S Nieminen; Annette Peters; Arto Pietilä; Siegfried Perz; Lasse Oikarinen; Olli Raitakari; Wibke Reinhard; Kaisa Silander; Barbara Thorand; H-Erich Wichmann; Gianfranco Sinagra; Jorma Viikari; Christopher J O'Donnell; Patrick T Ellinor; Heikki V Huikuri; Stefan Kääb; Christopher Newton-Cheh; Veikko Salomaa Journal: Heart Rhythm Date: 2012-06-06 Impact factor: 6.343