Anticoagulants

Anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some of them occur naturally in blood-eating animals such as leeches and mosquitoes, where they help keep the bite area unclothed long enough for the animal to obtain some blood. As a class of medications, anticoagulants are used in therapy for thrombotic disorders. Oral Anticoagulants are taken by many people in pill or tablet form, and various intravenous anticoagulant dosage forms are used in hospitals. Some anticoagulants are used in medical equipment, such as sample tubes, blood transfusion bags, heart-lung machines, and dialysis equipment. One of the first anticoagulants, warfarin, was initially approved as a rodenticide.

Anticoagulants are closely related to antiplatelet drugs and thrombolytic drugs by manipulating the various pathways of blood coagulation. Specifically, antiplatelet drugs inhibit platelet aggregation, whereas anticoagulants inhibit specific pathways of the coagulation cascade, which happens after the initial platelet aggregation and ultimately leads to formation of fibrin and stable aggregated platelet products.

Types of Anticoagulants

Anticoagulant Medications

Anticoagulants are types of drugs that manipulate the blood coagulation process (the so-called plasmatic coagulation). They inhibit thrombus formation, meaning that they prevent blood clots from forming too easily.

Anticoagulants generally include non-VKA Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs), heparins and vitamin K antagonists. All of these have different ways of working. Due to the pharmacological mode of action, the use of anticoagulants may be associated with an increased risk of occult or overt bleeding from any tissue or organ which may results in post haemorrhagic anaemia.

The signs, symptoms and severity will vary according to the location and degree or extent of the bleeding and or anaemia. Your doctor will work out which anticoagulant is right for you based on the indication and the presence of any other medical conditions.

Non-VKA Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs)

Rivaroxaban

Rivaroxaban is a direct Factor Xa inhibitor oral anticoagulant. Rivaroxaban works by inhibiting Factor Xa, a protein that helps blood clots form. Rivaroxaban comes in a tablet form. Rivaroxaban should be swallowed whole.

Edoxaban

Edoxaban is a direct Factor Xa inhibitor oral anticoagulant. Edoxaban works by inhibiting Factor Xa, a protein that helps blood clots to form. Edoxaban comes in a tablet form. Edoxaban should be swallowed whole, with or without food.

Apixaban

Apixaban is also a direct Factor Xa inhibitor oral anticoagulant. Apixaban works by inhibiting Factor Xa, a protein that helps blood clots form. Apixaban comes in a tablet form. Apixaban should be swallowed whole with or without food.

Dabigatran

By contrast to the NOACs listed above, Dabigatran is a direct thrombin inhibitor oral anticoagulant. Dabigatran works by inhibiting the action of thrombin, a protein that helps blood clots form. Dabigatran comes in capsule form. Dabigatran should be swallowed whole with or without food. The capsule should not be chewed or opened and the capsule should be kept in the original packaging.

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Meria Den
Managing Editor
Stroke Research & Therapy