There are many blood thinners available on the market today. Each one has its own risks and benefits. Some blood thinners are more effective than others in minimizing the risk of bleeding.
The best blood thinner for minimizing the risk of bleeding is warfarin. Warfarin is a very effective blood thinner that has been used for many years. It is available in both pill and injectable form.
Warfarin works by blocking the action of vitamin K. Vitamin K is needed for the blood to clot. When warfarin reduces the level of vitamin K in the blood, it makes it harder for the blood to clot. This reduces the risk of bleeding.
Warfarin is a safe and effective blood thinner. It is important to take warfarin exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Warfarin can interact with other medications, so it is important to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking.
If you are taking warfarin, you will need to have your blood tested regularly to make sure the warfarin is working properly. You may also need to avoid activities that can increase your risk of bleeding, such as contact sports.
If you have a history of bleeding or are at high risk for bleeding, your doctor may prescribe a different blood thinner.
More than 10 percent of people taking the blood thinner warfarin experience serious bleeding, and now researchers say they have identified a factor that may help doctors more accurately predict which patients are at highest risk.
Researchers say the findings could lead to more individualized care for patients taking warfarin, which is also known by the brand name Coumadin.
“We found that for every unit increase in trough levels of [the protein] thrombin-antithrombin complex, or TAT, there was a corresponding 63 percent increase in the risk of bleeding,” said study author Dr. Benjamin D. Horne, of Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City.
Horne and his colleagues found that patients with the highest levels of TAT were more than four times more likely to experience bleeding than those with the lowest levels.
The study included data from more than 2,700 patients taking warfarin. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
TAT is a protein that is involved in the clotting process. People taking warfarin are at risk of bleeding because the drug interferes with the body’s ability to clot.
Horne said the findings could help doctors better predict which patients are at risk of bleeding.
“Measuring TAT levels could help us identify patients who are at high risk for bleeding and who might benefit from a different dose of warfarin,” he said.
Warfarin is a commonly used blood thinner that is taken by millions of people each year. It is used to prevent blood clots that can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other serious problems.
