Anticoagulant
drugs work to prevent or delay the normal function of platelets
in coagulation and the formation of blood clots. Normally,
the ability of the body to form blood clots is life-saving
-- without it, we could bleed to death from a small cut. However,
blood clots can also be life-threatening. If a blood clot
forms inside an artery, it can occlude blood flow and reduce
blood supply to parts of the body; in the brain, this can
result in a stroke.
Patients who have experienced a stroke or who are at risk
of stroke are often prescribed anticoagulant drugs, which
inhibit the action of platelets and the formation of blood
clots. However, long-term anticoagulant use entails serious
risks, including risk of internal bleeding.
Popular anticoagulant drugs include aspirin
and warfarin.
Further Reading:
Article : "VASCULAR
DEMENTIA"
by Catherine E. Myers. Copyright © 2006 Memory Loss and the Brain
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