Effects of Anticoagulants

Anticoagulants, or blood thinners, are drugs that prevent blood clots from forming. They do not dissolve blood clots, but they can prevent clots from getting bigger. Prevention is important, because blood clots can lead to heart attacks or stroke. Anticoagulants can be administered intravenously with the drug heparin or taken orally with the drugs warfarin or dicumarol. The effects of anticoagulants include important lifesaving effects and unpleasant side-effects.

Considerations

The body naturally forms blood clots to keep it healthy. If a blood vessel breaks, proteins within the body activate platelets, which stick to the broken vessel. This type of clot fixes the vessel and heals the body. However, due to an unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle or poor genes, people can form unwanted blood clots that stop blood from flowing smoothly. Anticoagulants prevent blood clots by preventing these clotting factors from forming.

Types

There are two main ways anticoagulants affect clotting factors. The drug heparin works on an enzyme called antithrombin or AT, causing it to inactivate the protein thrombin. This protein is key to starting the clotting process. If it is inactivated, blood clots do not form. Dicumarol, and warfarin, which goes by the brand name Coumadin, work by inhibiting the production of vitamin K in the liver. The liver is in charge of making clotting factors and needs vitamin K to make them properly. If vitamin K is not produced, then neither are the clotting factors.

Side Effects

The effect that patients must be most wary of is hemorrhaging. Since anticoagulants stop blood clots from forming, excessive bleeding can occur. Bleeding can occur within the body and present itself through paralysis, headaches, shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing, and pain in the chest, abdomen, joints, or muscles. Patients should be wary of nosebleeds or blood in their urine. Other side effects can include but are not limited to nausea, fever, skin necrosis and hypersensitivity. Taking heparin for a long time can put patients at risk for osteoporosis.

Precautions

Different patients may react to anticoagulants differently. If any of the side effects mentioned in Section 3 appear, patients should contact their physician immediately. Patients taking anticoagulants should regularly have a Prothrombin Time and International Normalized Ratio or PT/INR rest done. The PT test analyzes the ability of the blood to clot properly while the INR test evaluates the effectiveness of the anticoagulants. Patients should also consult with their doctor before making any dietary changes. Changing to a diet high in vitamin K could affect the ability of certain drugs.

Benefits

Although anticoagulants can have negative side effects, they protect many patients from a variety of conditions including heart attack and stroke. The flow of blood throughout the body is essential to its functioning. If a blood clot prevents a part of the body from accessing these nutrients or oxygen, it will no longer function. Anticoagulants can ensure blood flows smoothly throughout the entire body.

Resources

• Future Anticoagulants and Their Effects