Vitamin K antagonists are oral anticoagulants (commonly called "blood thinners"), such as warfarin. These drugs help thin the blood of patients with conditions such as atrial fibrillation, thrombophilia and other diseases that increase the risk of forming blood clots. Patients taking a vitamin K antagonist have to sometimes make a lifelong commitment to this medication to avoid complications such as stroke or pulmonary embolism (blockage in the main lung artery).
Each patient reacts to vitamin K antagonist therapy differently. There are also external factors that could interfere with the medication, including certain foods, stress and alcohol. That is why it is so important for patients to test according to a prescribed testing frequency to ensure they are receiving a proper dosage.1