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benazepril vs perindopril

Side-by-side comparison of benazepril and perindopril Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

Drug Class
benazepril ACE Inhibitor
perindopril ACE Inhibitor
Type
benazepril Prescription
perindopril Prescription
Summary
benazepril

Benazepril (Lotensin) is a medicine that lowers your blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure helps to prevent strokes and heart attacks.

perindopril

Perindopril (Aceon) is a drug that lowers blood pressure. It can also help reduce the risk of heart problems in people with stable coronary artery disease.

What It Treats
benazepril

Benazepril is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering your blood pressure reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines.

perindopril

Perindopril treats high blood pressure (hypertension). It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines. Perindopril also helps lower the risk of heart-related death or heart attack in people who have stable coronary artery disease. It can be used with other treatments for coronary artery disease.

How It Works
benazepril

Benazepril is an ACE inhibitor. It works by relaxing your blood vessels. This makes it easier for your heart to pump blood.

perindopril

Perindopril belongs to a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors. It works by relaxing your blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. This makes it easier for your heart to pump blood.

Common Side Effects
benazepril
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Dizziness when standing up
perindopril
  • Cough
  • Dizziness
  • Back pain
FAERS Reports
benazepril
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 439
  • Feeling tired 408
  • Medicine not working 398
  • Feeling lightheaded 382
  • Difficulty breathing 380
perindopril

No adverse event reports.

Serious Warnings
benazepril

If you become pregnant, stop taking benazepril right away and tell your doctor. This medicine can harm or kill your unborn baby.

perindopril

If you become pregnant, stop taking perindopril right away. This medicine can cause serious harm or death to an unborn baby.

Pregnancy
benazepril

Benazepril can cause serious harm to your unborn baby, including death. Stop taking it as soon as you know you are pregnant. Talk to your doctor about other blood pressure medicines if you are planning to become pregnant.

perindopril

Do not take perindopril if you are pregnant. It can cause harm to your unborn baby, especially during the second and third trimesters. It is not known if perindopril passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor before breastfeeding.

Also Compare — Nearby Drugs

How to Read This benazepril vs perindopril Comparison

benazepril is classified in the ACE Inhibitor drug class, while perindopril sits within the ACE Inhibitor class. Because both drugs share the same classification, they are often considered interchangeable in theory — but clinical outcomes rarely track that cleanly. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, benazepril has 2,007 submissions while perindopril has 0. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between benazepril and perindopril — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.