Sotalol: a new beta-adrenergic blocker for ventricular arrhythmias.
Sotalol is a water-soluble, nonselective, beta-adrenergic blocker that was recently approved in oral form in the United States for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias that are judged to be life-threatening. As a beta-blocker, sotalol is unique in having additional class-III antiarrhythmic activity. It is still not resolved whether sotalol is more effective than other beta-blockers in managing arrhythmias, but there are suggestions that it might possess greater antiarrhythmic and life-protecting activities than other types of antiarrhythmic drugs. The drug is well tolerated, but, because of its electrophysiologic activity, there is a small risk of proarrhythmia, specifically the development of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and torsade de pointes.
Cavusoglu
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Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.
Frishman
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D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D013015:Sotalol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D013015:Sotalol