What is the Difference Between Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents are both medications that help prevent blood clots, but they work in different ways. Here are the main differences between the two:
- Mechanism of action: Anticoagulants, such as heparin or warfarin, slow down the body's process of making clots by interfering with the proteins in the blood that are involved in coagulation. Antiplatelet agents, such as aspirin and clopidogrel, prevent blood cells called platelets from clumping together to form a clot.
- Conditions treated: Anticoagulants are often prescribed for
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant? Comparative Table: Antiplatelet vs Anticoagulant
Comparative Table: Antiplatelet vs Anticoagulant
Antiplatelet | Anticoagulant |
---|---|
Prevent blood cells called platelets from sticking together and forming clots | Interfere with the proteins in your blood that are involved with the coagulation process |
Often prescribed for patients with a history of heart attack or stroke | Used to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and conditions that can cause them, such as atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) or a mechanical heart valve |
Work by interfering with the binding of platelets | Work by interfering with different factors in the coagulation process |
Examples include clopidogrel, ticagrelor, prasugrel, dipyridamole, dipyridamole/aspirin, and ticlopidine | Examples include heparin, warfarin, rivaroxaban, dabigatran, apixaban, edoxaban, enoxaparin, and fondaparinux |
Both antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications are blood thinners, but they work differently and treat different health conditions. Antiplatelet medications prevent platelets from sticking together to form clots, which can help prevent clots that cause heart attacks or strokes. Anticoagulants, on the other hand, interfere with the proteins in your blood that are involved with the coagulation process, preventing clotting.
Read more:
- Procoagulant vs Anticoagulant
- Anticoagulants vs Thrombolytics
- Anticoagulants vs Fibrinolytics
- Platelets vs Clotting Factors
- Platelet Plug vs Blood Clot
- Thrombosis vs Coagulation
- Coagulation vs Clotting
- Hemostasis vs Coagulation
- Red Blood Cells vs Platelets
- Thrombosis vs Thrombocytopenia
- Heparin vs Alteplase
- Thrombocytopenia vs Hemophilia
- Clopidogrel Bisulfate vs Clopidogrel Hydrogen Sulfate
- Megakaryocyte vs Platelet
- Angiogram vs Angioplasty
- Thrombin vs Prothrombin
- Thrombocytopenia vs Thrombocytosis
- Thrombophlebitis vs Phlebothrombosis
- Arterial vs Venous Bleeding