title: Metoprolol versus sotalol in the treatment of sustained ventricular tachycardia.
abstract: The efficacy of sotalol in the treatment of sustained ventricular arrhythmias has been proved; however, whether its antiarrhythmic effect is due to a beta-blocking activity, a class III antiarrhythmic activity, or a combination of both is not known. We conducted a prospective randomized study to compare the effects of metoprolol, a "pure" beta-blocking agent, and of sotalol, a beta-blocking agent with additional class III antiarrhythmic properties, in 34 consecutive patients with documented sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) unrelated to transient causes. After undergoing baseline programmed electrical stimulation (PES-1) to assess arrhythmia inducibility, the patients were randomly assigned to a (double-blind) treatment of either metoprolol (16 patients) or sotalol (18 patients). Before the chronic regimen was initiated, arrhythmia inducibility was reassessed after the intravenous administration of either 0.15 mg/kg metoprolol or 1.5 mg/kg sotalol (PES-2), according to drug assignment. During the chronic oral regimen, a third PES (PES-3) was performed after a median follow-up of 72 days. Resting and exercise ECG, Holter monitoring and echocardiography were performed at baseline and during follow-up. During a 2-year follow-up, a non-fatal arrhythmia recurred in 1 patient of the metoprolol arm and in 5 patients of the sotalol arm; 1 patient in the latter group died suddenly 2 months after the recurrence, while receiving amiodarone therapy. Intention-to-treat analysis showed no difference in the incidence of arrhythmia recurrence, sudden death, or total mortality between the two groups. During PES-1, a sustained ventricular arrhythmia was inducible in 18 of 34 patients (53%), 8 in the metoprolol and 10 in the sotalol arm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cappato
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kuck
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004452:Echocardiography; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013015:Sotalol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D013015:Sotalol; D008790:Metoprolol