What is "sotalol"

n. A drug used to treat cardiac arrhythmia and hypertension.

Sotalol is a drug used in individuals with rhythm disturbances of the heart ( cardiac arrhythmias). It is a non-selective competitive beta-adrenergic receptor blocker that also exhibits Class III antiarrhythmic properties. Originally discovered in 1960, sotalol became widely used first as a beta blocker in the 1980s, and its function as an antiarrhythmic drug was discovered soon after. Due to the dual action of sotalol, it is often used preferentially to other beta blockers as treatment for both ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.

Trade names for Sotalol include Betapace and Betapace AF ( Berlex Laboratories), Sotalex and Sotacor ( Bristol-Myers Squibb), and Sotylize ( Arbor Pharmaceuticals). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that sotalol only be used for serious arrhythmias, because its prolongation of the QT interval carries a small risk of life-threatening torsade de pointes.