Definition

A medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure by blocking certain enzymes in the body.

Example

The doctor prescribed captopril to help manage my hypertension.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of captopril?

Yeah, I think it's used for high blood pressure, right?

Exactly! My doctor mentioned it when I asked about medications.

That's interesting! It's good to know there are options like captopril out there.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Captopril is formed from "capto-" (from Latin "capere", meaning to seize or take) and "-pril" (a suffix used in pharmacology for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors). The word refers to a medication that seizes or inhibits the action of angiotensin-converting enzyme, thus lowering blood pressure.

Memory Tip

Think of 'seizing' ('capere') the action of a specific enzyme to help lower blood pressure — that's what captopril does.

Visually Confused Words