Email template Text Positioning Issue

Even though I am zeroing out margin and padding, I’m noticing that the Arial font wants to add a top margin/padding effect of about 2 to 3 px above my <h3>. Using Helvetica removes the extra space, but there are certainly issues with specifying Helvetica. Remvoving the <h3> line and just using the <p> does not remove the space issue. I’m guessing this has something to do with how line-height is applied within these fonts. If you click back and forth between these test pages you will see the effect:
http://www.burntscarlet.com/_test/help_forums/Kirupa/email_template/email_helvetica.html
http://www.burntscarlet.com/_test/help_forums/Kirupa/email_template/email_arial.html
What kind of settings can I use to minimize this extra space?