Anticoagulant and

antiplatelet drugs
Definition

Anticoagulants are drugs used to prevent clot formation

or to prevent a clot that has formed from enlarging.
They inhibit clot formation by blocking the action of
clotting factors or platelets. Anticoagulant drugs fall into
one of three categories: inhibitors of clotting factor synthesis,
inhibitors of thrombin, and antiplatelet drugs.

Purpose

Anticoagulant drugs reduce the ability of the blood

to form clots. Although blood clotting is essential to prevent
serious bleeding in the case of skin cuts, clots inside
the blood vessels block the flow of blood to major organs
and cause heart attacks and strokes. Although these
drugs are sometimes called blood thinners, they do not
actually thin the blood. Furthermore, this type of medication
will not dissolve clots that already have formed,
although the drug stops an existing clot from worsening.
However, another type of drug, used in thrombolytic
therapy, will dissolve existing clots.
Anticoagulant drugs are used for a number of conditions.
For example, they may be given to prevent blood
clots from forming after the replacement of a heart valve
or to reduce the risk of a stroke or another heart attack
after a first heart attack. They are also used to reduce the
chance of blood clots forming during open-heart surgery
or bypass surgery. Low doses of these drugs may be
given to prevent blood clots in patients who must stay in
bed for a long time after certain types of surgery. They
may also be used to prevent the formation of clots in
needles or tubes that are inserted into veins, such as indwelling
catheters.
Anticoagulants may be given after major surgery to
prevent the formation of clots due to lack of physical activity.
Patients who are unable to move around may be at
risk of developing clots, particularly in the legs. Anticoagulants
are given to prevent this. At the same time,
compression stockings may be used to reduce the risk of
clots in the legs. Compression stocks are worn on the
lower legs, and act by increasing the pressure on the
veins of the leg, then relaxing. The compression-relaxation
keeps the blood in the veins moving, and reduces
the risk of clots following surgery.
Because anticoagulants affect the bloods ability to
clot, they can increase the risk of severe bleeding and
heavy blood loss. It is thus essential to take these drugs
exactly as directed and to see a physician regularly as long
as they are prescribed. With some of these drugs, regular
blood tests, as often as once a day, may be required.

Description

Most anticoagulant drugs are available only with a

physicians prescription. They come in tablet and injectable
forms. They fall into three groups:

 Inhibitors of clotting factor synthesis. These anticoagulants

inhibit the production of certain clotting factors in
the liver. One example is warfarin (brand name:
Coumadin).
Inhibitors of thrombin. These drugs interfere with
blood clotting by blocking the activity of thrombin.
They include heparin and lepirudin (Refludan).
Antiplatelet drugs. These drugs interact with platelets,
which is a type of blood cell, to block platelets from
aggregating into harmful clots. They include aspirin,
ticlopidine (Ticlid), clopidogrel (Plavix), tirofiban (Aggrastat),
and eptifibatide (Integrilin).