Benicar can help decrease the risks associated with long-term high blood pressure by causing the blood vessels to relax, which helps with blood flow throughout the body. The drug should be taken at the same time each day to maintain an even level of the medicine in the blood. In addition, a person should not stop or change his or her Benicar dose before talking with a healthcare provider.
(Click Benicar Uses for more information on what Benicar is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
Benicar is manufactured by Sankyo Pharma Inc.
Benicar is part of a class of drugs called angiotensin II receptor blockers, or ARBs for short. As the name implies, Benicar blocks angiotensin II receptors. This decreases the effectiveness of a chemical known as angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow (constrict). By blocking the effects of angiotensin II, Benicar 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 40 mg of Benicar, systolic
blood pressure decreased by 12 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) on average, and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 7 mmHg on average. Lower doses of Benicar resulted in a smaller drop in blood pressure.
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