The prescription drug benazepril has been licensed to treat high blood pressure. Like other ACE inhibitors, benazepril causes blood vessels to relax, which can help lower blood pressure. In previous clinical studies, benazepril reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 6 to 12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 4 to 7 mmHg. The most common side effects of benazepril include headache, dizziness, and fatigue. You should not adjust your dose of benazepril unless your doctor specifically instructs you to do so.
Benazepril is part of a class of drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or ACE inhibitors for short.
Benazepril is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.
Benazepril: How Does It Work?
Benazepril is part of a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors. ACE stands for angiotensin-converting enzyme. Benazepril helps to block the angiotensin-converting enzyme, which is normally part of a reaction in the body that causes the blood vessels to narrow (constrict). By blocking this enzyme, benazepril causes blood vessels to relax, which can
lower blood pressure.
A
blood pressure reading consists of two numbers -- for example: 120/80. The top number is known as the
systolic blood pressure and the bottom number is the
diastolic blood pressure. During clinical studies in people taking benazepril, systolic
blood pressure (the top number) decreased (on average) by 6 to 12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) decreased by 4 to 7 mmHg (on average). The higher the dose of benazepril, the greater the drop in blood pressure tended to be.
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