Potential treatment influences and mechanisms related to asymmetric dimethylarginine control in heart failure.

Downloa of 637]) (p 0.0001). This pattern persisted even when considering only those with associated ST-segment elevation: 0.5% (3 of 637) of females, 3.3% (28 of 859) of males (p 0.0001). In male patients, there was a trend toward a lower prevalence of J-point elevation patterns with increasing age. In female patients, the reverse was true, although those with associated ST-segment elevation were present only in the group aged 18 to 29 years. Our results demonstrate that the prevalence of what has been termed J-point elevation differs significantly according to the inclusion (2.1%) or exclusion (29.3%) of STj elevation as defined in this study. These data are strikingly similar to the results of Uberoi et al. (8) in a slightly older VA population. Previous reports on early repolarization that included ST-segment elevation as a criterion found similar figures of 1% to 5% in the population (e.g., 2). However, recent reports (e.g., 3) found a larger proportion of healthy control subjects, ranging from 3% to 33%, manifesting end QRS notching or slurring, which compares with our 29.3% with all types of J-point elevation. The prognostic value of J-point elevation in an apparently healthy individual remains uncertain, as a significant proportion of healthy control subjects from various studies exhibit this morphology. Our results suggest that the exclusion of STj elevation from J-point elevation may further decrease its specificity in healthy individuals. We have presented data on the prevalence of J-point elevation with or without STj elevation in an apparently healthy white population. These results have implications for studies looking at the significance of J-point elevation and/or what is currently termed early repolarization. In short, agreed definitions of J-point elevation, STj, and ultimately what has been termed malignant early repolarization (4) are required.