David Muramoto1, Celina M Yong2, Nikhil Singh1, Sonya Aggarwal1, Marco Perez2, Euan Ashley2, David Hadley3, Victor Froelicher4. 1. Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA. 2. The Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA. 3. Cardea Associates, Inc, Woodinville, WA. 4. The Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; Cardea Associates, Inc, Woodinville, WA; Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite recent concern about the significance of the J-wave pattern (also often referred to as early repolarization) and the importance of screening in athletes, there are limited rigorous prognostic data characterizing the 3 components of the J-wave pattern (ST elevation, J waves, and QRS slurs). We aim to assess the prevalence, patterns, and prognosis of the J-wave pattern among both stable clinical and athlete populations. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 4,041 electrocardiograms from a multiethnic clinical population from 1997 to 1999 at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. We also examined preparticipation electrocardiograms of 1,114 Stanford University varsity athletes from 2007 to 2008. Strictly defined criteria for components of the J-wave pattern were examined. In clinical subjects, prognosis was assessed using the end point of cardiovascular death after 7 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Components of the J-wave pattern were most prevalent in males; African Americans; and, particularly, athletes, with the greatest variations demonstrated in the lateral leads. ST elevation was the most common. Inferior J waves and slurs, previously linked to cardiovascular risk, were observed in 9.6% of clinical subjects and 12.3% of athletes. J waves, slurs, or ST elevation was not associated with time to cardiovascular death in clinical subjects, and ST-segment slope abnormalities were not prevalent enough in conjunction with them to reach significance. CONCLUSIONS: J waves, slurs, or ST elevation was not associated with increased hazard of cardiovascular death in our large multiethnic, ambulatory population. Even subsets of J-wave patterns, recently proposed to pose a risk of arrhythmic death, occurred at such a high prevalence as to negate their utility in screening.
BACKGROUND: Despite recent concern about the significance of the J-wave pattern (also often referred to as early repolarization) and the importance of screening in athletes, there are limited rigorous prognostic data characterizing the 3 components of the J-wave pattern (ST elevation, J waves, and QRS slurs). We aim to assess the prevalence, patterns, and prognosis of the J-wave pattern among both stable clinical and athlete populations. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 4,041 electrocardiograms from a multiethnic clinical population from 1997 to 1999 at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. We also examined preparticipation electrocardiograms of 1,114 Stanford University varsity athletes from 2007 to 2008. Strictly defined criteria for components of the J-wave pattern were examined. In clinical subjects, prognosis was assessed using the end point of cardiovascular death after 7 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Components of the J-wave pattern were most prevalent in males; African Americans; and, particularly, athletes, with the greatest variations demonstrated in the lateral leads. ST elevation was the most common. Inferior J waves and slurs, previously linked to cardiovascular risk, were observed in 9.6% of clinical subjects and 12.3% of athletes. J waves, slurs, or ST elevation was not associated with time to cardiovascular death in clinical subjects, and ST-segment slope abnormalities were not prevalent enough in conjunction with them to reach significance. CONCLUSIONS: J waves, slurs, or ST elevation was not associated with increased hazard of cardiovascular death in our large multiethnic, ambulatory population. Even subsets of J-wave patterns, recently proposed to pose a risk of arrhythmic death, occurred at such a high prevalence as to negate their utility in screening.
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: Wesley T O'Neal; Yi Grace Wang; Hau-Tieng Wu; Zhu-Ming Zhang; Yabing Li; Larisa G Tereshchenko; E Harvey Estes; Ingrid Daubechies; Elsayed Z Soliman Journal: Am J Cardiol Date: 2016-08-20 Impact factor: 2.778
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: J Arrhythm Date: 2016-08-21