OBJECTIVE：To investigate the efficacy and safety of l ow-dose(80～160mg/d) sotalol on atrial fibrillation in the elderly patients of C hina.METHODS：Total 60 patients,65～89 years old with atrial fib rillation entered the randomized study,30 patients received sotalol and 30 recei ved amiodarone.There were no significant differences in baseline clinical charac teristics between groups.Patients randomized to sotalol began with 80mg/d.After first and second week,the dosage was added 40mg/d for those who had not reached the responsible criteria,patients randomized to amiodarone began with 200mg/d,me anwhile 100mg/d would be added for those who had not reached the responsible cri teria until the dose reached the maximum(400mg/d).Holter monitoring was used to assess the arrhythmias.RESULTS：①The total efficacy rate of sot alol was 63.3% and that of amiodarone was 62.1%(P＞0.05).②After the first week of treatment, the efficacy rate of sotalol reached 26.8% and that of Amiodrone was 10.3%(P＜0.05).③There was signifcant relativi ty between efficacy rate of sotolol and average heart rate decreasing(r =-0.85,P＜0.001),and there was also signifcant relativity betw een efficacy rate of sotalol and lengthened QTc interval(r=0.74,P＜0.001).④The accident rate of side effect of sotalol was 6.7%,no patients di scontinued sotalol therapy.CONCLUSION：Low-dose sotalol(80～160m g/d)was efficient and safe in the Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation.