Prevention of implantable-defibrillator shocks by treatment with sotalol

The beta blocker sotalol may reduce the risk of inappropriate shocks in patients who have an implantable defibrillator. Implantable defibrillators are used to deliver a shock to the heart when it begins to beat too fast. However, some shocks can be inappropriate. In a study of 352 patients with an implantable defibrillator who began taking sotalol or a placebo, sotalol lowered the risk of an inappropriate shock by 64%. It also reduced the risk of death or shock from any cause, whether appropriate or not.