EARLY REPOLARIZATION ON SCALAR ELECTROCARDIOGRAM

Sixty thousand electrocardiograms were analyzed for 5 years. Six hundr ed (1%) revealed early repolarization (ER). Features of ER were compar ed with race-, age-, and sex-matched controls (93.5% were Caucasians, 77% were males, 78.3% were younger than 50 years, and only 3.5% were o lder than 70). Those with ER had elevated, concave, ST segments in all electrocardiograms (1-5 my), which were located most commonly in prec ordial leads (73%), with reciprocal ST depression (50%) in aVR, and no tch and slur on R wave (56%). Other results included sinus bradycardia in 22%, shorter and depressed PR interval in 38%, slightly asymmetric al T waves in 96.7%, and U waves in 50%. Sixty patients exercised norm alized ST segment and shortened QT interval (83%). In another 60 patie nts, serial studies for 10 years showed disappearance of ER in 18%, an d was seen intermittently in the rest of the patients. The authors con clude that in these patients with ER: 1) male preponderance was found; 2) incidence in Caucasians was as common as in blacks; 3) patients of ten were younger than 50 years; 4) sinus bradycardia was the most comm on arrhythmia; 5) the PR interval was short and depressed; 6) the T wa ve was slightly asymmetrical; 7) exercise normalized ST segment; 8) in cidence and degree of ST elevation reduced as age advanced; 9) possibl e mechanisms of ER are vagotonia, sympathetic stimulation, early repol arization of sub-epicardium, and difference in monophasic action poten tial observed on the endocardium and epicardium.