In patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, amiodarone and sotalol were equally efficacious for conversion of the arrhythmia to sinus rhythm. However, amiodarone was clearly superior to sotalol for maintenance of sinus rhythm. The results establish amiodarone as the drug of choice for the management of atrial fibrillation. Amiodarone and sotalol were equally efficacious for conversion of the arrhythmia to sinus rhythm. However, amiodarone was clearly superior to sotalol for maintenance of sinus rhythm. Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia requiring continuous therapy. 1 – 4 Conversion to and maintenance of sinus rhythm remain the cornerstones of therapy, but the optimal long-term drug strategy is controversial. Unblinded trials found that rhythm control did not offer a survival advantage over rate control with anticoagulation, 5 – 7 but they did not compare standardized drug regimens for maintaining sinus rhythm or regularly monitor for atrial fibrillation. Thus, if the best approach to maintaining sinus rhythm had been used, the outcomes might have differed. 8 The double-blind Sotalol Amiodarone Atrial Fibrillation Efficacy Trial (SAFE-T) compared the ability of sotalol and amiodarone . . .