Article: Benazepril

Benazepril hydrochlorothiazide, brand name Lotensin®, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), congestive heart failure, and chronic renal failure. Upon cleavage of its ester group by the liver, benazepril is converted into its active form benazeprilat, a non-sulfhydryl angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.

Dosage forms

Oral tablets, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg

Side effects

Most commonly, headache and cough. Anaphylaxis and angioedema can occur. Hyperkalemia, or an elevation of potassium levels, can also occur.

Benazepril may cause harm to the fetus during pregnancy.

Contraindications

Benazepril should be discontinued during pregnancy.

Kidney Disease

According to a 2006 Article in The New England Journal of Medicine that patients taking Lotensin showed "substantial" kidney benefits.

A long term study of patients kidney disease revealed that patients who took Lotensin had better kidney function and a slower progression of kidney disease. Kidney function was much better in the group of patients taking the drug than their peers who took a placebo drug. [1] This is noteable because this category of pharmaceuticals have long been thought to cause further kidney damage or increase the rate of progression for kidney disease.

According to coverage of the study on "Web MD", "ACE inhibitors can pose a potential threat to kidneys as well. The key question was whether damaged kidneys would worsen if patients took ACE inhibitors. In a nutshell, concerns centered on blood levels of potassium and creatinine, waste products that are excreted by the kidneys. Testing creatinine levels in the blood is used as a way to monitor kidney function." [2]

This study marks the first indication that Lotensin, and perhaps other ACE inhibitors may actually be benificial in the treatment of hypertension in patients with kidney disease.

Other species

Under the brand name Fortekor® (Novartis), benazepril hydrochlorothiazide is used to treat congestive heart failure in dogs and chronic renal failure in cats.

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