When does a physician use either aspirin or warfarin or both?
(1) coumadin is commonly used in stroke prophylaxis especially in the setting of atrial fibrillation. (2) it can be used together with aspirin at the discretion of the primary physician particularly when there is proven coronary ischemic disease but usually, one would opt for one or the other but not both because of increased risk for hemorrhaging. (3) aspirin is not used for “thinning” the blood in someone with high blood pressure. It irreversibly acetylates cycloxygenase, an enzyme in platelets that function in blood clotting. The indication for this is stroke and MI prevention not isolated hypertension.
