Warfarin Medications
Warfarin is a vitamin K antagonist anticoagulant that reduces blood clot formation. It is prescribed for conditions like deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and atrial fibrillation.
Warfarin Information
Warfarin, a long-standing oral anticoagulant, is most often prescribed to prevent blood clots in conditions such as atrial fibrillation, deep-vein thrombosis, and after heart-valve surgery. Belonging to the vitamin K antagonist class, it works by blocking a key enzyme in the clotting cascade, which reduces the body’s ability to form fibrin-rich clots. Brand names such as Coumadin, Jantoven and Marevan are widely recognized, while high-quality generics are also readily available. Although its primary role is anticoagulation, clinicians sometimes employ warfarin off-label for certain hypercoagulable states when evidence supports its use. Because its therapeutic window is narrow, regular monitoring of the international normalized ratio (INR) and attention to diet and drug interactions are essential for safe and effective therapy.
What is Warfarin?
Warfarin is a coumarin-derived vitamin K antagonist that interferes with the synthesis of clotting factors II, VII, IX and X, as well as the anticoagulant proteins C and S. The Health Sciences Authority of Singapore approved warfarin for clinical use in the early -s, following earlier clearance by the U.S. FDA in 1954. Since then, additional indications have been added, including stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation and thromboprophylaxis after orthopedic surgery. The drug’s core molecular target is the vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKORC1), an enzyme essential for recycling vitamin K to its active form. By
