Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
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Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
FAQs A-Fib Drug Therapy: Warfarin
“Are Anticoagulants and blood thinners the same thing? How do they thin the blood?”
Since A-Fib increases your risk of clots and stroke, blood thinners are prescribed to prevent or break up blood clots in your heart and blood vessels and thereby reduce your chance of an A-Fib-related stroke.
Although referred to as “blood thinners”, they don’t actually affect the “thickness” or viscosity of your blood.
Anticoagulant Warfarin
There are two main types: anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents. They work differently to accomplish the same end effect.
Anticoagulants work chemically to lengthen the time it takes to form a blood clot.
Common anticoagulants include warfarin (Coumadin), Heparin and the NOACs such as apixaban (Eliquis).
Antiplatelet Aspirin
Antiplatelets prevent blood cells (platelets) from clumping together to form a clot.
Common antiplatelet medications include aspirin, ticlopidine (Ticlid) and clopidogrel (Plavix) .
Final answer: An anticoagulant doesn’t really thin the blood or make it less viscous, but it does help prevent a stroke like blood thinners do.
Note: To read about ‘clot buster’ drugs or treatments that could save you from a debilitating stroke, see my article: Your Nearest ‘Certified Stroke Center’ Could Save Your Life.
Return to FAQ Drug Therapies
Last updated: Tuesday, June 19, 2018
