Accupril

The prescription drug Accupril is licensed to treat several conditions related to the heart and blood vessels, including high blood pressure and symptoms of congestive heart failure. Accupril lowers blood pressure by blocking an enzyme in the body that causes blood vessels to constrict. By lowering blood pressure, Accupril can reduce the risks that accompany long-term high blood pressure. For people with congestive heart failure, Accupril helps improve exercise tolerance and decrease symptoms of congestive heart failure such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling. Accupril comes as a tablet taken once or twice daily.

 

What Is Accupril?

Accupril® (quinapril hydrochloride) is a prescription medicine that has been licensed to treat several conditions related to the heart and blood vessels. It is part of a class of drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or ACE inhibitors for short.
 

Who Makes Accupril?

Accupril is manufactured by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.
 

Accupril Uses

Accupril has been licensed to treat a number of conditions. These uses include:
 
Accupril does not cure high blood pressure or congestive heart failure, and has not been approved for use in children.
 
(Click What Is Accupril Used For? for more information on Accupril uses, including possible off-label uses.)
 

Accupril: How Does It Work?

Accupril is part of a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors.
 ACE stands for angiotensin-converting enzyme. Accupril 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, Accupril causes blood vessels to relax, which can lower blood pressure.
 
By helping blood vessels relax, Accupril also increases the efficiency of the heart. This means that the heart does not have to work as hard and more blood can be pumped out to the rest of the body. Both of these are helpful for a person with congestive heart failure.
 
(Accupril Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;