What Is An Anti-coagulant?
An anti-coagulant is a substance that prevents blood from clotting. Normally, when the body is wounded and bleeds, a cascade system of chemicals released by platelets in the blood work to ‘plug the hole’ and to form a sticky mesh over the wound to stop further blood being lost. This is a protective mechanism that works well. However, when it occurs inside the body it can be a severe problem. If blood clots form inside large blood vessels and are then carried round the body, they can become lodged in smaller blood vessels. If this happens in the blood vessels supplying the heart, the result is a heart attack. If it happens in the brain, the result is a stroke. To prevent blood clotting in people with arterial disease in which fatty deposits have build up, anti-coagulant drugs are used to prevent their blood clotting internally. Herparin and warfarin are common anti-coagulants.
