Blood thinners, or anticoagulants, prevent blood from clotting and can be used to treat certain heart conditions. They work in different ways, such as inhibiting vitamin K or thrombin, and can be administered orally or by injection. Antiplatelet drugs, like aspirin, prevent platelet clumping and are also used to prevent blood clots. Regular blood tests are necessary to monitor the effectiveness of anticoagulant therapy and to avoid potential risks.
An anticoagulant is a type of medication that can be used to prevent the blood from clotting or clotting. There can be types of blood thinners and they have different ways of acting. Most of these are medications that are given to people to prevent blood from clotting in certain diseases, but sometimes a blood thinner is used in laboratory or medical settings to prevent things like intravenous lines from blocking or blood from clotting in test tubes and syringes. For medical use in people, it is also important to mention antiplatelet drugs, which have a similar purpose to blood thinners, although the way they work is different.
There are several ways that a blood thinner can work to prevent blood from clotting. Some of the best known such as warfarin (Coumadin®) inhibit the action of vitamin K and are called coumarins. Other medications can inhibit thrombin, which is an enzyme in the blood that helps in blood clotting. Such drugs are less commonly used for daily anticoagulant therapy because they must be injected, but they include drugs such as hirudin, melagatrane, and lepirudin. Other drugs such as heparin can act on thrombin indirectly by producing antithrombin and are useful both as medicine for people and to prevent clotting in medical equipment and supplies.
Also noteworthy is the category of antiplatelet drugs. These prevent blood clots differently, by preventing what is called platelet clumping. The term simply means that platelets, a necessary part of blood, have a tendency to collect at the site of injury to help stop bleeding. When a person is prescribed an antiplatelet drug, it is an attempt to stop the clumping that could occur within the body and form dangerous blood clots. Common antiplatelet drugs include aspirin and Plavix®.
Anticoagulant therapy and sometimes antiplatelet therapy can be used when people have certain heart problems. There is a significant need to prevent the possibility of blood clots forming, which may be more likely if people have an artificial valve or shunt, or if they have other conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, atherosclerosis, or atrial fibrillation. Treatment usually involves taking blood thinners such as warfarin daily, and people need to have frequent blood tests to make sure that blood clotting is reduced enough, but not too much. Many people go to anticoagulant or warfarin clinics to monitor their blood levels. There are some risks to this treatment, particularly if you’re experiencing things like a head injury, but with a little care, taking things like warfarin can greatly reduce your risk of stroke or pulmonary embolism.
Sometimes an anticoagulant drug is used for a very short time after a person has heart surgery or right after a stroke. Antiplatelet drugs also have some use in this regard. In general, anticoagulants tend to prevent blood clotting more than antiplatelet drugs, however antiplatelet drugs are extremely helpful. Most doctors usually recommend taking an aspirin when people suspect they are having a heart attack or stroke, as this can significantly reduce the damage.
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