How does Warfarin work?
Warfarin is prescribed to help prevent clots forming in the blood which could lead to a stroke, heart attack or other serious health condition. So how does warfarin work?
The human liver produces a group of proteins which control the process of blood clotting (coagulation). These proteins are called clotting factors and, in order to do their job of clotting blood, they require to have a supply of Vitamin K.
Warfarin works by doing two things,
- It reduces the number of clotting factors that the liver produces
- It limits the supply of Vitamin K available to the clotting factors
The result is that Warfarin slows down the time it takes for blood to clot and, consequently, unwanted blood clots are less likely to form.